Doomed For Metal Reviews

Hexecutioner is a doom/stoner/sludge metal band from Seattle that formed in 2020. Their latest release, “ Ascension Rock ,” is their third full-length album; they have also released a demo. I gave a lot of deserved praise to their previous full-length album, " Tornit " last year.  So, what's changed with their latest musical bomb of doom?  Does " Ascension Rock ," find the band turning into atmospheric electronica polka?  It's going to be a hell no, dawg.  Once again, and thankfully so, Hexecutioner have brought the hammer of doom down upon us all.  Except this time, it's more than one hammer.  It's a lot of hammers.  Ok, so all the hammers.  There are some changes though.  Vocalist/Guitarist  Erin Gravina played bass on the prior releases but this time  Daniel McManus handles the low-end axe---and he brings a devastating dimension to the album.  Alongside drummer,  Bryce Hebner , these three musicians have created an ...

Exitium Sui is a one-man blackened doom metal band Germany, who formed in 2020 but has now reloaded to Australia. The musician behind the project is E.S., also from Deadspace , Humanitas Error E st (among others).  The latest album, “ Unravelling ,” is the band’s/project’s third full length (if you count the expanded edition of “Endless” as a full-length). I didn’t review it, but I enjoyed the previous release, “ Endless / Regression ,” but “ Unravelling ,” is on another level entirely.  This album is a decayed beauty piece of art that matches misanthropic black metal with despondent doom….while also being moving and beautiful, albeit in a twisted, broken way.  Anyone who isn’t a metalhead, specifically one that loves underground metal, would find this to be raw, archaic noise but those who know, know.  There are subtleties to this album that make it hard to not want to listen to it.  In between the darkness, between the shadows that seem to swallow the light, ...

Ænigmatum is a death metal band from Portland, Oregon who formed in 2017.  Their latest album, “ Infinitude’s Passage ,” is their third full-length; they have also released two demos. I reviewed their previous album, “ Deconsecrate ,” for Metal Temple five years ago and haven’t been wondering what happened to the band.  Then suddenly, they drop this harrowing slab of death metal called “Infinitude’s Passage” without warning. This album is non-linear—if you are looking for something that is verse-chorus-verse then “ Infinitude’s Passage ,” may not be the album for you.  It’s bold, adventurous, and has many sharp turns around its corners among a world that’s stuffed with all kinds of things within its seamlessly endless corridors.   Despite their tech/prog path, “ Infinitude’s Passage ,” is an album that is also focused.  Despite how wild their music can get, the band doesn’t forget that, at the core, they are a death metal.  As such, this album has a r...

Fane is a doom/sludge band from Louisiana who hit the scene in 2024 with their EP Gallant Shroud ."  Now they have returned with their debut full-length, " Armageddon Scars ."  This album is a total banger. I love how balanced it is. “ Armageddon Scars ,” balances doom and sludge perfectly. It's low and slow without being plodding and languishing around trapped in its own sound—this darkness is always moving forward. The riffs are thick as hell, a sonic density that is unbreakable.  That's how doom should be. Period. But the tone is nasty and abrasive just like sludge to me. It's melodic in the right places and takes this path with a subtle approach—a slow loving glacier that edges its way through with singular purpose. The vocals are fantastic too. They sit somewhere between death growls and a Crowbar style rough shout. If that doesn't appeal to you then I guess you don't like good things. Nerd. The pacing is on target too.  With just five songs an...

Thorns of Ruins is a Norwegian extreme metal band, who hit the scene in either 2019 or 2024 with their demo that was titled “ Demosongs 2019” that, at least according to Metallum, didn’t release until 2024.  Confusion aside, in 2026, they have now released their second full-length album, “ Stellar Reverence .”  Actually, I should talk about ‘them’ in the singular because it’s a one-man band from musician Thomas Aamodt ( Ildfar , Sincera , and Wither ).  Oh, Ildar have a solid album out too this year, please check it out as well! This album is my first experience with the band and what I’m hearing is something that is a breath of fresh air.  I haven’t heard anyone who sounds like this band.  Of course, their combination of black, death, and doom is a formula that countless bands have tried but Thorns of Ruin have their own way of doing things.  This is a raw (ish) album that is one of the more abrasive ones I’ve heard this month.  The vocals in partic...

Ninth Realm is a thrash metal band from Baltimore, Maryland who formed in 2018.  Their latest release, “ Damnation’s Veil ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released three EPs, two demos and two splits. I like thrash but I don’t keep up with it as much as I would like mostly because 99% of what I hear is straight up garbage.  But every now and then a band/album comes around that makes me realize I'm stupid.  Enter Ninth Realm ’s “ Damnation’s Veil .”  Simply put, this album smokes from start to finish.   It doesn’t sound like some old school revival band made up of over the hill alcoholics whose last days of glory were raw dogging their prom date in 1982.  Ninth Realm takes a different path, one that isn’t stuck in the past with the ability to walk across those confines but actually more modern and extreme.   I like that “ Damnation’s Veil ,” doesn’t have any fancy bells and whistles.  It’s an album that embraces its ...

Illwind is a doom metal band from Peru, who formed in 2022; “ The Unfolding at the End of Light ,” is their full-length debut album. Although the members of Illwind are in other such acts like Argul , Arcada , and Death Invoker , the band itself has stunned me with the dropping of this full-length.  No demos, no EPs; they just hit the scene, dropped this sledgehammer of an album down and said, “Here.  Deal with this.”  I love traditional doom as much as the next doomer, but rarely have I heard it so abrasive and dark.  The vocals may be clean, but the music is hellish and matches the cover.  Speaking of those vocals:  absolutely stunning.  Loud and emotional but with a deeper tone to them rather than a total falsetto.  If anything, they are more operatic and theatrical but without the corny texture.  The bass is fantastic—a punishing low end that is dynamic enough to bring the pain when needed but also doesn’t have any issues going a more me...