Doomed For Metal Reviews

You know what's wrong with Asphodelus' new album, 'Sculpting From Time?' Absolutely nothing. I was a fan of their full length debut 'Stygian Dreams' but this improves upon the formula in every way. The way the band manages to combine classic doom sorrow with stark melodies that are also catchy and vibrant is mind bending.   They use a lot of clean instrumentation among their doom metal and it adds a certain sophisticated ambience to their funeral tone of finality. The album opens with 'Waterside' and their penchant for catchy melodic guitar licks is in full bloom. The bass absolutely slaps as well and the drums provide an always interesting foundation. Over halfway into the song, a quiet part gently adds another layer of depth but builds up dark enough to keep the sorrow flowing.  Another stand put is 'Life Painted Vermilion' and its more riff based approwch. The band is at their best when their riffs and melodies/harmonies entertwine in such a...

     Auralayer's 'Thousand Petals' is a massive success and one hell of a stoner doom metal album! Add in hard rock, pop (more on that later).       You like riffs? Think you have heard all of them? Sure, guy. Put on this album and prepare to be taken away to a world where the only thing that exists is riffs, riffs, and more riffs. You get a riff! She gets a riff! He gets a riff! EVERYONE GETS A RIIIIIIFF! Absolutely fantastic album for anyone who loves the guitar and doom laden stoner rock/metal. But it isn’t just about the guitars. The bass slaps, the drums are incredibly solid and clever, and those smokey, stoner vocals are just perfect. Oh did I mention the guitar solos? Total wizardry. Their bandcamp descriptions says the music is 'expedited into pop size pieces of explosive rock energy.'       So yeah, you're not getting top 40 radio bubblegum pop but what they mean is this mean ass doom album is presented in a...

Portland, Oregon based musician, A.L.N. has been releasing music under the moniker Mizmor for some time now.  The solo project's last full length album was 2019's masterpiece "Cairn,' which is one of the best doom albums I've ever heard.  With that being said, A.L.N. has remained busy since then, releasing two collaboration albums, one with Andre Black and another with Thou plus an EP titled "Wit's End.'  I don't know who Andrew Black and haven't even had a chance to give that album a listen but the release with Thou was one of my favorite albums of last year.   So where was Mizmor going to go?  A more funeral doom direction that presented itself on 'Wit's End' or a perfect melding of blackened doom as found on the Thou collaboration album 'Myopia?'     Why not both?  Mizmor's fourth full length album, 'Prosaic,' combines all these elements and sounds into something new.    While not as angry or cavernous as ...