Doomed For Metal Reviews

Man, I love COC.  If you can stoop snickering long enough to listen to their 11th full-length album, “ Good God/Baad Man" , then you too can join in on that love.  I doubt Corrosion of Conformity needs an introduction at this point but a quick recap:  they are badass.  Review over.   Ok second review starting now.  COC has been around since 1982 (one year before I was born, damn!) and began as a punk band that morphed into some kind of Southern fried version of metal that includes many different elements from doom/sludge and everything else in between all the way to hard rock.  Members have come and gone; some have even passed away, including original drummer Reed Mullin .  But the founder of the band, Woody Weatherman , has kept the band going through the decades and doesn’t seem content on doing anything but continuing to be badass.     Pepper Keenan is at the helm once again, the guitarist who joined the band on their ...

Towering is a death metal band from France, who formed in 2015.  Their latest release, “ The Oblation of Man ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released two demos. Dissonance is a tricky thing for a lot of bands.  Sometimes it gets so dissonant that it sounds meandering and pointless.  Other times, it begins to blend together.  Still other times, a band gets so caught up on the style, they lose their heaviness and sense of urgency.   Towering conquers these dilemmas by taking what has become a familiar metal trope and forging a sound all their own. They have the dissonance factor nailed down—and it is atmospheric as hell.  But it never loses its crushing base of stark death metal.  The lead guitar is as important as the riffs and everything is formed up and focused by the bass and drums, both of which must surely be considered amongst the densest things in the universe.  Spearheading the charge are very urgent and depraved ...

Wrang is a black metal band from Netherlands, who formed in 2013.  Their latest release, “ Verwording ,” is their third full-length album; they have also released a demo, two splits, and an EP.  “ Verwording ,” is easily one of my favorite metal albums of the first half of 2026.  I like this album so much that the last time I played Super Smash Brothers, I named my character “ Wrang .”   I don’t know why that’s important to this review or what anyone is supposed to do with that information, but I felt the need to include it.   There are a lot of different styles of black metal these days, but Wrang have opted for this album to be built upon riffs, solos, and a sense of melody that never overpowers but underscores their need to do their own thing, capturing the essence of black metal without being afraid to be themselves.  I appreciate how much groove can be found in the songs.  Even when the speed kicks up and the melodic elements are riding upon ...

Splendidula is a blackened doom metal band from Belgium, who formed in 2008.  Their latest album, “ Absentia ,” is their fourth full-length album. This album is hypnotic and engaging in a unique way but also born out of tragedy.  “ Absentia ,” was created during a dark period for the band, where they lost several loved ones, including bassist Peter Chromiak .  These devastating events would bring anyone to their knees but “ Absentia ,” sees the band using their talent to speak of the emotions and turmoil of these tragedies while also rising up to write what is their best album yet.  Kristien Cools is the album’s MVP—she is constantly improving and her vocals are at the next level.  Her cleans are so unique, weird and fragile in these best ways but also profoundly emotive.  Her extreme vocals are quite arresting and even what I might call frightening.  The band matches her fervor with a performance that swings from blackened violence to doomed grief, ...

Resumption is a death/doom project from musician Wilhelm Lindh ( The Gardnerz , ex- Tristitia , ex- Pandemonium , ex- Allamedah ) that formed last year.  Wilhelm has wasted no time, already dropping Resumption’s full-length debut “ The Respite .”  According to the press release, the band aims to bridge the gap between death metal bands like Bolt Thrower and Broken Hope with the suffocating, slow atmosphere of Funeral. I’d say this is a pretty damn accurate description of the album and the band’s overall style.   The production and mix has a real DIY feel but in a good way.  The raw (ish), gravely sound works perfect for the type of doom this is—this definitely doesn’t need a shiny, happy production job!  The mix is on point too—the bass stands out really well and an absolute bulldozer.  The vocals are exactly what the songs need and they sit up at the front of the mix without overtaking any one element.   Wilhelm plays all the instruments, an...

IATT is a progressive death/black metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who formed in 2008.  Their latest release, “ Etheric Realms of the Night ,” is their fourth full-length album; they have also released five EPs. I reviewed their previous album, 2022’s “ Magnum Opus ,” when I wrote for Metal Temple and gave it high praise.  A few years later, the band has returned but in what form?  Is their edge dulled?  Or are they still on the path of killer prog? IATT has crafted quite the album with “ Etheric Realms of the Night .”  The problem with prog metal bands is that sometimes after releasing an album as good as “Magnum Opus,” they don’t know where to go.  Some get even heavier and lose the proggy parts that made them so interesting.  Others get lighter with so much prog they just become boring.  IATT focused on their sound and introduced new pathways while injecting their older ones with steroids.  “ Etheric …” seems more focused and by ...

When Canadian musician Damian Smith announced that the amazing Altars of Grief was on hold, I was sad.  In my humble opinion, their last album “Iris” is one of the best doom metal albums in modern times…but if Smith keeps putting out albums like “ Derelict Heart ,” from his new band Northern Graves, then I might be less sad.  Maybe.  This is blackened doom, so it isn’t exactly the happiest music.  Smith, who provides vocals, guitars, and piano, is joined by Roman Chester (bass), Branson Heinz (drums), and Andrew Caruna (vocals and guitar as well).  These four gentlemen clearly have a great synergy together because even though this album moves through both whiplash passages of blackened destitution and somber causeways of doom, it flows amazingly well from song to song.  I also want to spend some time talking about intros and interludes.  I hate them, and it is documented so throughout many of my reviews.  Well, I hate most of them.  There a...