SolNegre - The Spiral Labyrinth

     SolNegre’s ‘The Spiral Labyrinth’ is so good I almost cried the first time I’ve heard it.  Doom has been on an upswing in recent years.  Just when I think it may have reached its peak (I’m a damn fool, I know), an album like this comes around and completely blows me away.  My love for anything under the doom umbrella isn’t a secret, neither is the fact this style of melodic Gothic death/doom was the type of doom I got into first. 

    So it isn’t a surprise that I’m giving this such high praise but this work is so grandiose within every element of its genre, it represents its sound so well, that even if I didn’t like doom or wasn’t familiar with the genre, this would still put me down on the floor.   Considering former Helevorn members Rigel (guitarist) and Guillem (Bass) are part of this band, I never expected it to be anything less than stellar but this....this is a monumental album. These men, alongside drummer Tomeu (Golgotha) and vocalist Miguel (Illogic Creatures), poured their very souls into this it seems.

    As such, this is an album that even the most hardcore doom fans will love but I also think it could be a great introduction to the genre for people looking to discover it. ‘The Spiral Labyrinth’ has more than enough depth and layers for the critics to keep coming back to over and over to discover something new.  But, despite its length, it flows so smoothly and is emotionally challenging that new fans will find just as much to discover and enjoy.

    The production and mixing job is superb--it sounds bottomless and each song is like a drip into a vast ocean that goes fathoms deep. The album's production values help capture each standout moment, whether it is a sudden change in a song's direction or a solo that threatens to bring me down to my knees.

    The album is full to bursting at its seems with these types of moments, from the beginning to the very somber end. Let's talk about the opening song, 'Vessel Part 1: The Night Within' because it is a fine example of exactly what I'm gushing over. The song begins with clean notes and an ethereal sound. It is almost gentle, in a way. But I can tell a thread is being pulled and it is about to grow into something much larger. Indeed it does, into a funeral doom type movement where simple but heavy riffs create a dark soundscape. Touches of keys fly about like spirts in the wind, to be there as a haunting reminder of what was and what will be.

    The slow and crushing delivery of this doomed mechanism is made vicious due to the vocals of Miguel whose snappy and brutal delivery is commanding. The song takes another turn into melancholic, clean tones that keep the theme going from the previous slow carnage that passed by just minutes before but it just presents it as a different perspective. A guitar solo builds up in the background and when it comes to the front...my god, one of the most moving, beautiful and perfect guitar solos I've heard all year. It isn't great just because how it sounds or is played but also how it pulls the song along with it and everything seamlessly goes back to the status quo.

    'Vessel Part II: The Day We All Failed,' also begins on a lighter note but this time with the vocals taking on a deep, Gothic tone. The bass takes the song for a walk, leading it into riffs that shake the ground and a deep growl that might as well be inhuman. The glacial pace alternates between beauty and the beast guitar, the song showing the band is fully capable of being touched by a Gothic embrace. As the song speeds up slightly, melodic guitar gets woven into its fabric---everything in this song just sounds so natural. Much like the first part, this one also includes a mind blowing solo.

    The album isn't just about funeral textures and melodic overtones. 'Yours Is a Legacy of Broken Glass and Poisoned Wells' presents the band as a filthy, full formed doomed death machine that can pulverize with the best of them. The bass and guitars really go along way in complimenting each other's style, adding layered dimensions of bleakness to the proceedings. The later half of the song is lifted by double bass and drums that hit hard but also play it smart--they are a rhythm powerhouse and hold the foundation but are interesting and intricate in their own right.

    'The Waning Glow,' is all about the balance or, more accurately, how well this band writes balanced songs. This mini epic contains thick riffs, suffocating bass and drums but still finds moments to inject a lot of atmospheric elements into melodic nook and crannies. Each note has its place among the others, nothing needs to be added nor taken away. The mid section is otherworldly keys and drums, these two instruments creating a song world within a world. Then the damn breaks and riffs flood outward and combine with the brackish, Gothic waters.

    The final song is 'Ethereal/A Song for Nel,' and slowly sweeps the music into a vibrant but sorrowful landscape. Gadea's clean vocals are just what this song needs and a perfect way to start the beginning of the album's end. Even when the song gets heavy, her lithe vocals never falter or get buried---her shining dark is above all.

SolNegre have written and performed a truly incredible doom metal album and, as of this writing, it is the best doom metal album I've heard in this second half of the year. I would honestly be shocked if this album didn't receive many year end accolades--it certainly deserves it. Doom is the best music in the world and albums like this are why.

Sonus Mortis - Of Red Barren Earth

 SONUS MORTIS is an extreme metal band from Dublin, Ireland.  It is actually a one man project from Kevin Byrne. He started the band in 2013 and ‘Of Red Barren Earth’ is his seventh full length album, in addition to a demo release in 2013.

I first discovered SONUS MORTIS way back in 2016, when I reviewed the masterful ‘Hail the Tragedies of Man.’ It was among the first albums I reviewed and the band has never had a dull moment since then.  With that being said, Byrne has managed to once again surpass and raise his own bar with ‘OF RED BARREN EARTH,’ because it is the best SONUS MORTIS album yet.

The early years of the band had a doom sound but as the band grew so did the influences, incorporating symphonic, black, melodic and death metal elements.  ‘OF RED BARREN EARTH,’ returns the project to its doom roots while still retaining all the progression made over the years.  Some of the keys/symphonics even add a folkish flavor to the music, such as the beginning of ‘AMONG THE MARROW AND THE MACHINES.’

One of the most impressive aspects of the album is just how well balanced it is, in terms of all the different elements that it weaves together.  The symphonics are very well integrated, acting as another piece of this musical tapestry instead of just being epic for the sake of it or doing nothing but adding in a backdrop.

The guitars are menacing, a tone that hits the sweet spot between heavy without being overbearing.  Melodic and more extreme riffs find equal time as well, making an album that flows from one track to the next without a second wasted.  The rhythm section is equally as powerful, the bass playing the important role of making the overall sound very full yet being adventurous in its own right.  I’m not sure if the drums are live or programmed (they sound live though) but either way they are written well into the very foundations of the music.

The aforementioned ‘AMONG THE MARROW AND THE MACHINES’ gives off a vibe that definitely speaks of a synthesis between both flesh and metal, the song sounding both futuristic, modern and yet respectful of the past all at once.  The vocals are absolutely vicious—Byrne only continues to improve his growls and screams. 

The music is slow to mid paced, and the doom fan in me appreciates the more methodical and tragic atmosphere the album presents. The drums are intricate and clever, always there to provide a strong anchor yet allow enough room for the song writing to breathe.

‘OVERWHELMING MASS,’ has an operatic feel with the usage of the cleans in the beginning but also because of just how huge in scope the song is.  It’s under five minutes in length but it is epic as hell.  The keys/symphonics are absolutely soaring and the clean vocals hit hard.  Throw in sweltering riffs and blackened death growls and we have a song that is catchy but hard hitting at the same time. The ending solo, bolstered by the furious double bass, ends the song on a high note.

The title track is one of the best songs on the album…..just grandiose and gorgeous but also depressing and apocalyptic, .The song gets darker and more intense as it moves forward, the layers piling up on each other until it becomes totally engrossing.  The drumming is a highlight too, ramping up the climatic energy with ease yet still allowing the sorrowful tones to ‘shine’ through.

‘HARBINGER OF DOOM,’ is one of the songs released before the album and it is easy to see why—-it provides a great overview of the album’s style and what Byrne is going for.  The guitars knock it out of the park by providing harrowing moments that work against the sprawling keys but still take a more melodic route when needed. The portions of clean vocals are catchy and the extreme vocals are fantastic and capture the song’s fervor. 

The final song is ‘THE THREADS OF LIFE,’ which just might be the band’s best song.  The song wastes no time, filling in the eight and a half minutes with everything needed to end the album on the highest of highs.  Gothic doom like textures open the song, vicious blackened melodic death owns the middle part but the song comes full circle near the end.

‘OF RED BARREN EARTH’ is a shining example of what happens when extra care is given to song writing on a level that plays it all out in an organic, natural way.  SONUS MORTIS are unstoppable at this point and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Laguna - Of Men and Myths

    Laguna is a stoner/doom metal band from Barcelona who are launching their latest release, 'Of Men and Myths.'

    I haven't heard of this band before I was sent this promo but goddamn does it rock.  The guitar tone is absolutely perfect---it has a heavy, thick sound that is even a little dark but it isn't overly abrasive---definitely lives up to their self professed style of "stoner rock with doom vibes."  This album has riffs for days----very groovy riffs but still captures that stoner atmosphere without fail.  The bass guitar stands out, as it should with anything within the stoner/doom umbrella; it acts as a rhythm powerhouse, along with the tight, crisp drumming, but is also incredibly heavy in its own right and ensures the songs always have that extra bit of bite.

    One of the things I appreciate the most about the album is how rough the vocals are.  A lot of stoner bands go exclusively a clean, hazy sound or one that is drenched in reverb.  Not Laguna----their vocals aren't extreme but they definitely have a lot of power and grit to them.

    Another element of the album that is refreshing is that despite the music fitting firmly in the family of stoner rock/doom/sludge, the album isn't hazy, downtrodden or psychedelic. It just flat out rocks, gets in and out by doing what it does with a tight focus on songwriting.

     With eight tracks and a runtime of just 27 minutes, the album is a half hour of power that makes it easy for many repeated listens.

       The album begins with the clean instrumentation and clean vocals of 'Dogma, Part 1' ---this opener is more of an intro but even though it sounds different than the rest of the album, it sets it up well. 

        The next song is part one of the title track and from here the album never lets up. It is interesting because the album begins with lighter elements but ends with an absolute bang. This gives the whole album a sense of building up to something greater by using a constant rise of action. 

         The songs also feel connected so it can be enjoyed straight through or enjoyed on a piece meal basis.

          The highlight of the album is the second part of Dogma, which picks up where the first part left out. The bass and drums provide a hard foundation for the guitars and vocals to build upon, and they do just that.

           'Of Men and Myth, Part II' continues then lighter tones of the first half but by the time the album is over, the rage has boiled over into pummeling end. 

           All in all, I found this album to be very good in its arrangements and fitting all it did in under thirty minutes. The way the parts continue each other while serving up other slices of songs in between is a clever approach. I'll definitely have Laguna on my radar from here on out. 

Astronomie - Interstellar Nomad

Astronomie is a Australian doom/sludge band that formed in 2017. Believe it or not, 'Interstellar Nomad,' is their first album. The album is unusually super tight and focused for a debut album---I was surprised at how young the band is, in terms of formation. 

If I didn't know any better, I'd say they have been playing together for longer and would say it isn't possible that 'Interstellar Nomad' is their debut! 

Their sound is on the heavier side---and by heavier, I mean straight up bone crushing. The music lays down huge, thick doom toned riffs with the rough gravitational destruction of sludge.

The album consists of riffs, riffs, riffs, riffs, riffs, and more riffs. Oh by the way, this album has a lot of riffs. Ok, I'm done. Riffs. Ahem. Groovy, sweltering, stoner and even some psych reverberate off the strings. Even better, each riff is memorable and infectious as hell.  Kenny, Bean, and Glen all play their asses on across the seven tracks.   The guitar solos are all very memorable, off the wall a bit but with just enough flash to make them stand out. 

But the guitars aren't the only saviors. Indeed, the whole band brings it hard. The bass is groovy as a really groovy thing but Kenny goes total ape mode and destroys just fine on its own.  He definitely makes the album that much more heavy and full. 

Every good bass needs a good drummer, right? Well Astronomie have a great bassist and a great drummer. Android's drums are interesting, exciting and provide a most excellent and unmovable foundation that doom must have.

Most people, myself included, don't listen to doom/sludge for the vocal prowess. I love vocals and prefer them in music but how many in this genre are actually good? Most are there to serve the music, and that is fine, but Astronomie have very capable vocalists.  James is the lead vocalist and his lungs shout out clean, concise vocal tones that are huge yet smooth and easy to sing alongside.  He honestly reminds me of Ozzy at times except way less nasal and with more emotion.  Anna provides additional/backing vocals and she sounds wonderful too.  I hope for future releases she will be utilized more! 

The album opens with 'The Infinite' and light, quiet tones that last only a moment before the riffs drop like bombs. I immediately began headbanging---this is a common factor with the album as a whole.  It rocks so hard, you'll need a chiropractor by the end of it.  This song is slow to mid paced---just how doom of this style should be.  The whole ride is just groovy and catchy.  The chorus is really amazing too!

The title track is another highlight.  The bass tones dig deep from the first second as clean guitar joins in before the headbanging commences once more!  This main riff is one of the best on the album and I cannot get it out of my head, though I don't want to anyway!  The rhythm of the vocal matches the song perfectly and just goes to show this band is firing on all cylinders, all the time. 

'Moondozer,' is as heavy as the moon and perpetually moving forward like a bulldozer.  The fuzz is strong with this one and if you have a decent pair of headphones, jamming this song will make your head feel like it is both imploding and expanding at the same time.  Crazy good stuff here and one of the heaviest songs I've heard this second half of the year in non-extreme metal.  

'Sea of Thirst' is black hole heavy.  You don't know what that means?  Listen to the song and you'll understand.  The bass is just dripping with such heavy notes that I thought they would grab me and suck me inside a dimension of non stop rocking.  Oh wait, that IS what this song/album is.  The drums are exceptional here, holding down the foundation while forging a path that makes the ears focus on each part of the song as the rhythm brings it all back together. 

'Interstellar Nomad' is obviously a very impressive debut album.  Astronomie is this good already?  I can only imagine what future releases will bring.  I will definitely be waiting very impatiently for more music from them!  Any fan of doom/stoner/sludge and anything fitting under that massive umbrella needs to jump on this.