Doomed For Metal Reviews

Thrakian is a doom/sludge/post-metal band from the UK, who formed in 2022.  “ The Way ,” is their debut release.  Metallum lists it as an EP but with four songs that run over 30 minutes, this might be full-length.  Regardless of what it may or may not be, there is one thing it definitely is: a heavy but beautiful and mesmerizing release. Featuring members of Pantheïst , I’m not surprised at all by this. Pantheïst ’s Matt Strangis ’ (who also has a project named Doubsower , who is definitely worth a listen) is on bass.  Atanas Kyurkchiev , also from Pantheïst ,  provides vocals and guitars.  Rounding out the band is lead guitarist Kristiyan Peshev and Svetoslav Simeonov on drums.  The music of “ The Way ,” seamlessly traverses across a multitude of genres. The filthy tones of sludge cover the rhythms with a heavy grit that is impossible to ignore.  The slower tempo and melancholic atmosphere of doom provide the perfect landscape for the music to e...

Signs of the Evil is a black metal band with origins who formed in 2002 and from Peru but are now apparently based in Portland, Oregon.  The band’s latest album, “ Calling the Ancient Legions Under the Red Moon ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released two demos and two splits. Oregon isn’t the first place that comes to my mind when I think of black metal but maybe it” needs to be because Signs of the Evil have crafted a fantastically abrasive album in “ Calling the Ancient Legions Under the Red Moon .”  The name of the band, album, and even the artwork is straight up raw, unfiltered black metal with the promise of a blasphemous good time built upon music written to invoke ancient rites and beings.  The album delivers on this promise and more. As I said, this is some raw stuff.  It isn’t so raw that it can’t be enjoyed—the sound isn’t muted or foggy but instead gritty with a real DIY atmosphere and production job.  For me, the way this album...

In Vespro is a Roman, Italy based melodic death/doom band.  I couldn’t find much information about them online so I’m not sure when they formed but “ Where Silence Used to Sleep ,” is their debut album.  It features members of Svart Vinter , Veil of Conspiracy , and Handful of Hate .  That’s a damn fine pedigree right there so I was expecting this album to be worthy of my time (and yours) before I even pushed played. I was not disappointed.  If anything, my expectations were exceeded.  Their sound is very longing and full yearning.  I’m definitely getting 90’s melodic/Gothic death doom vibes from “Where Silence Used to Sleep” and that’s nothing but a good thing.   The melodies really speak for themselves, but I’ll do my best to speak on them.  These textures aren’t Gothenburg melodic nor are they from the 00’s metalcore scene, where the songs tried their best to be heavy yet came off sounding like discount MDM bands a lot of the time. No, th...

Grim Legion is a death metal band from Manalapan, New Jersey, United States who formed in 1988 and went on a hiatus in 1991; they reformed in 2011 and have been active since.  Their latest album, “ Harbingers of Death ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released four demos, an EP and a compilation.   Grim Legion features Evoken alumni Randy Cavanaugh and John Paradiso on guitars, Condition Critical 's  Ryan Donato on drums, and ex- Fate Array musicians Devlin Bane on vocals, guitar and Marakus Misery on bass.    Based on those musicians and their history, I would have been a total dumbass to expect this to be anything less than bone crushing.  While I am still stupid, I expected this to be exactly what it provides:  monstrous old school death metal that’s as cold as the grave and unforgiving as death.  The production isn’t exactly what I would call raw but it’s definitely rough, in a way that an album of this nature n...

  Auszaat is a metal band from Salzburg ,  Austria who formed in 2019.  Their latest album, “ Trümmerethik ,” is their second full-length album. According to their Bandcamp page, the band describes their sound as “blackened whatever,” and that pretty much nails it on the head as to what I experienced on this unique and engaging album.  The production and mix on this album are perfectly suited for music contained within—music that is as mysterious and disturbing as it is intense and violent. Every little detail, of which there are many, can be heard through the album’s atmosphere.   The band’s use of clean notes is extremely important to the album, oftentimes being used to set the song up for the more intense moments.  But on their own, they are great little dimensions of unnerving notes, serving up a fresh perspective that contrasts while complimenting the heavier parts of the songs. The base of the album’s sound may be black metal, but it doesn’t ge...

I don’t review a lot of power metal on my blog.  It isn’t because I don’t like it–in fact, I love it.  In my younger days, it was one of the genres I got heavily into first.  The problem, however, is that it is such a bloated genre.  Always has been and probably always be; for every good power metal band, I come across 30 that gargle my balls.  But when it is good, it is good.   Tomorrow ’s Outlook and their third full-length album, “ Black Waves ,” album is a rock-solid power metal album that captures everything about the genre that made it appeal to me in the first place.  Vocalist Tony " Thunder " Johannessen has a fantastic voice.  He isn’t overly falsetto nor does he sound like a cornball or yet another ripoff of Dickinson or Halford.   The rest of the band is on point with songs that focus on killer riffs in a more traditional aspect and sweet, sweet guitar solos.  I like that the music isn’t overly epic or filled with po...

Undercroft is a death metal band from Chile, who formed in 1991.  Their latest album, “ The Killer Sword ,” is their ninth full-length album; they have also released four demos, two compilations, a live album and a boxed set.   That’s a lot of music!  To my shame, I’ve never heard of this band before I was sent the promo for “T h e Killer Sword .”  How has this band escaped my radar over the years?  I’ll have to stop kicking myself long enough to dive into their back catalog because if it's even half as good as this album, then I need to hear more of what they offer. “ The Killer Sword ,” is, by far, the catchiest extreme metal album I’ve heard so far this year.  I don’t mean they have clean, poppy choruses, or a sound so modern that it was born in a deathcore pit.  This is straight up 100% death metal that ticks off the boxes.   More importantly, it has riffs FOR DAYS.  For centuries.  I can’t even count the number of brutal...