Darkness Everywhere - To Conquer Eternal Damnation

Darkness Everywhere is a melodic death metal band from Oakland, California who formed in 2020.  “To Conquer Eternal Damnation,” is their debut full-length album but they released an EP in 2022. 

The band’s sound incorporates thrash metal as well.  They balance speed and aggression with tight control over melodic textures.  Speaking of tight, this album is just 27 minutes long across ten songs.  There is no fat, nor filler, and every available second is used to push the album forward.  It’s focused, very well written, and does what it needs to do then leaves.  However, coming back to the album is very easy not only because of it’s shorter runtime but simply because the songs are that good. 

Overall, “To Conquer Eternal Damnation,” takes a classic approach to melodic death but that isn’t the only path the album treads. Their sound is wrapped but in a modern display of fervent metal that harkens back to a time when melody didn’t mean the music couldn’t be hard as hell.  

The album opens with “Retaliation,” and it’s thrash metal tempo.  The throaty vocals scream out anguish and guile while the music pushes itself towards a melodic segment that is catchy as hell.  The following solo is great too, one that is made up of emotion and actual notes instead of a bunch of flashy widdly wham. 

The title track begins fast as hell but very quickie opens its doors to melodic leanings that branch off the riffs in a natural way.  After the halfway point, a melodic romp bangs out the song until the end, the band having a firm grasp on providing an extreme sound with hooks.

“Starving Eyes,” begins the final half of the album with a galloping march of deadly precision.  The drums are especially important here, crisp and clear but on point with deadly accuracy.   The bass slaps hard too, unafraid to step away from behind the guitars and let itself provide that important low end backbone.

“Into The Unknown” adds in a bit of melancholic tapestry in the opening moments, using it as a base for the rest of the song to jump from.  It all sounds very smooth and ensures the song is a constant head banger. 

The final song, “The Tragedy of Infinite Loss,” also provides a bit of misery to the melodic thrash of the riffs but this song focuses on the lead guitar to highlight all the other instruments around it.  The band has excellentsynergy together despite how new they are to the scene but it pays off because this is my favorite song on the album.  

All in all, Darkness Everywhere’s “To Conquer Eternal Damnation,” is a solid example of the state of modern melodic death by a band that is already showing a lot of promise.  It is an album very focused on song writing and is enjoyable from start to finish, with no tracks that need to be skipped. This is a short but entertaining ride that is well worth many return visits.

Dååth - The Deceivers

Dååth is a death metal band from Atlanta, Georgia who formed in 2003. Their latest full-length album, “The Deceivers,” is the band's fifth and their first in 14 years!

I've been a fan of them for a long time now and never thought they would ever release another album again! 

For those unfamiliar, the band's extreme sound is dynamic. Elements of progressive, groove, melodic and industrial have graced their albums. “The Deceivers” expands upon their symphonic elements. 

Thankfully these elements don't take away from their intensity; this is symphonic metal more along the lines of Septicflesh and Fleshgod Apocalypse than Epica and Nightwish.

Sole original member guitarist Eyal Levi returns alongside longtime vocalist Sean Zatorsky but the entire band is on another level.

The album actually does an impressive job of combining all eras of the band so even while It is being a fresh piece of new music, it acts as both an overview of their career and am excellent entry level point for new fans.  The years absent doesn't seem so long now. 

The album opens with “No Rest No End,” which is dynamic from the start with clean instrumentation that quickly gives way to fast paced symphonics, thick bass and riffs for days.

Around the 1:30 make, the choppy riffs and mad barking vocals bring alive a special sort of brutality. From the halfway point, the guitars let loose soaring solos before going into a crazy progressive laced movement.

“Ascension” is a massive song—the super tight, rapid, and focused speed attack works wonderfully with the symphonics The later half of the song, especially near the end, is a rifftastic nightmare with exceptional drumming.  The symphonics are as energetic and urgent as the rest of the instruments and it all comes together at the 3:01 mark and builds up spectacularly throughout the rest of the song.

“The Silent Foray” is the longest song on the album at 6:43 and the highly of it all for me.  The riffs are balanced between crushing and groovy, as are the drums. The cadence of the vocals are catchy as hell, perfect for the riffs to work from as they are thrown out left and right. Around the 4:41 mark the band gets a little theatrical for a brief pause before finishing out with a sweltering atmosphere. Per Nilsson of SCARY SYMMETERY is featured as well and he does, as expected, a bang up job. 

Another highly is “Purified By Vengeance,” which melds their sound to the wall and represents what the album is all about—while destroying from beginning to end.  The drums and bass are particularly robust, especially during the mid section when the symphonic textures highlight the instruments like a bolt of lighting flashing up the sky. 

“Into Forgotten Dirt,”  gets more intense as it moves along.  The beginning is held together by dense riffs and flashes of speed from the drums.  The symphonics are almost whimsical and playful but they never take away from the darkness.  

All in all, Dååth have released a banger of an album that as exciting as it is energetic. Hopefully, they stick around for now and give us a another album soon.

Shroud of Despondency/LanzerRath split

LanzerRath is a black metal band from Michigan who formed in 2018; they have released four full-length albums to date.  Shroud of Despondency is a black metal band from Michigan/Wisconsin who formed in 1999; they have released seventeen full-length albums among numerous EPs, demos, live albums and splits.

These two diabolical bands have come together for a split album consisting of three songs and a 40 minute run time.  That is a decent amount of time for a split but, thankfully, it is well worth the time to invest.   LanzerRath provides one song, the nearly 20  minute epic “Nebular Collapse:  The Dissolution of Order and Meaning,” and SoD offer the first two tracks.

On the surface, the two bands couldn’t be more different.  Shroud of Despondency plays a more theatrical and off the beaten path approach for their brand of blackened darkness.  LanzerRath, who I was not familiar with before receiving this review promo, is a much more raw, bleak take on the genre.  

But the two bands pair well as they both offer a long form approach to blackened songwriting, stuffing each song to the gills with a lot of great ideas.

The opening song, “The Source of Multiversal Degradation,” is immediately sprawling, offering cleverly arranged keys that are boosted by heavy footed double bass and riffs that are deep in tone.  As always, SoD reveal themselves to be a very musical band, meaning they adapt and make each part of their song compliment the other.  This results in an epic song that is tightly written and performed. The song sounds unhinged during several moments, such as during the guitar solo around the 3:46 mark or the wild but highly effective clean vocals that begin at the 5:46 mark.  

The band also provides the next song, “Celestial Venom,” which starts more straightforward and focused on speed.  The riffs are, well, venomous but the band still provides a layer of imaginative soundscapes.  The movement from 3:43 to 6:00 is particularly wild, with the harrowing riffs and blackened shrieks that lead into a spacey atmosphere highlighted by clean keys and melodic leads.

The final song, LanzerRath's “Nebular Collapse:  The Dissolution of Order and Meaning,” is sprawling in its own right and the production is noticeably more raw.  However, their song is barbaric and unrelenting so the production not only works but it is definitely needed.   The song’s use of clean instrumentation is well integrated into the song, offering a despondent and detached atmosphere especially when paired with the blackened vocals.

The middle portion is musically slower and methodical compared to the beginning but quickly ramps up with some of the best riffs on the album. The final five minutes or so of the track are my favorite.  It goes from all out speed and aggression to a darker, cavernous romp with low riffs and terrifying vocals.

I’m glad to see more and more splits being released in the last few years because they are a great way to introduce fans to bands they might not know and usually offer variety between whomever is playing.  This split in particular is fantastic; I don’t think any song is better than the other as both bands provide very well written black metal songs.    

Wingless - Ascension

Wingless is a death/doom band from Poland, who released their first album back in 2014.  Their latest album, “Ascension,” is their fifth full-length album.

This is my first time hearing the band’s music but it immediately grabbed my attention.  Their brand of death metal contains a lot of doom influences but they aren’t afraid to play mid-paced or even speed the tempo up even further.  The atmosphere is dirty, grimy and quite cavernous, which is the three things you want to hear in doomed out death metal.  

The rhythm section is very strong—the bass is like a tank, it rumbles along every forward and shakes the ground the entire time.   The drums are more intricate than I thought they would be–it isn’t nonstop blast beats or playing as fast as possible.  There is much care and concern placed upon the drums and the songs are all the better for it.

The guitars are varied; everything dense and miserable to groove can be found here, giving the songs more variety and dynamics than I anticipated.   The vocals are excellent, perfect example of how to deliver a deep death growl that’s still intelligible to a degree. 

The album opens with “The Ascension (after the Light)” which starts off with murky, clean tones that quickly develop into a low rumble.  The riffs sound unstoppable—and they are.  Around the 1:25 mark, a crushing groove develops and sends the band into a frenzy of double bass.  The mid-segment is slightly melodic, or what amounts to melody for this band.  It’s just enough to highlight the crushing misery.

“The Soul Raiser,” and it’s cacophony of drums get the song off to a harrowing start.  The cadence of the vocals against the riffs is like a death march.  The solo is simple but well integrated into the song, highlighting the music around it while adding it’s own layers. Near the end of the song, the lead guitar once again brings the doom while the rest of the band hammers the song into oblivion.

WINGLESS speeds up the tempo for “Stronger Than Death,” which is fast and loose in the beginning then tightens up for a mid-paced groove afterwards. The drums are the MVP of the song, when they focus up the energy and oppressive heaviness become palpable. 

The album is consistent all the way though, as the final half the album showcases.  “Only The Graves Will Remain,” is a straight up banger with a lot of old school fervor.  The bass and drums put it all out on the line with a sterling performance that is as towering as the guitars are dense and dark. 

The final song, “Into The Unknown,” is a creepy and unnerving outro.  After the brutality of the first eight tracks, this might come off as a respite but it only further pulls the mind apart, not allowing the brain to truly understand what it just heard. 

Wingless’ “Ascension,” is a nice mid-year surprise for me and it made me a fan of the band.  Anyone a fan of dismal and despondent death metal or extreme doom will find nothing to complain about here and get an album that is worth jamming many times.

Sunset Forsaken - Novembryonal Echoes

Sunset Forsaken is a melodic death/doom project from Ukraine, formed in 2018. It is a one-man band, the musician behind it being Andriy Tolok, the very same musician from the black metal project Haissem. 

“Novembryonal Echoes,” is the project's third full-length album.  I reviewed the previous album, “85 Nerves,” and found it to be a solid album that represented melodic/death doom well. However, I think with “Novembryonal Echoes,” Tolok has found his footing for this style.

The production this time around is much more vibrant–the melodies and hormones stick out more.  The riffs and rhythm section have a lot more weight to it.  This album’s sound is exactly how melodic death/doom should sound—heavy but not so much the melodies didn’t grab my ears. 

Musically, the five songs have a lot of depth to them and will require multiple listens.  I don’t see that to mean the music is complicated but, rather, there are a lot of details in these songs that I didn’t catch the first time around.  Thankfully, the music is so well written that I wanted to  listen to it again and again, regardless.

I do get a more of a blackened vibe throughout the album too, especially in the vocals.  I think the approach works pretty well and lends the songs a bit more bite this time around.

A lot of the guitar work is absolutely fantastic. The opening lead guitar melodies on “Echo I - Viral Sorrow” are catchy as hell and have an unique contrast against the low doom riffs.  The way this song, and the album as a whole, unfurls is surprisingly smooth so the long song structures pass through with ease.  My favorite part of the song is a huge blackened scream that leads into a sorrowful dirge that would bring a grown man to tears.  The passage is just funeral enough to pull on the heart strings but catchy enough that I was banging my head through the tears. 

"Echo II - Suspiria De Profundis" is eleven minutes long and it is epic all the way through.  The bass slaps and is the star of the song.  The drums compliment the song well and together with the bass, a strong foundation exists throughout for the often gorgeous melodies to do their thing.  The rhythm guitar is dense, keeping the song firmly on the heavier side even with everything else going on.  Tolok’s vocals are haunting but just gritty enough for a blackened death rasp that adds a lot of energy to the music. 

“Echo III - Thrones of Woe/Slow Motion Sadness” is one of my favorite songs on the album.  The bass is very oppressive but the clean guitar in the opening falls like drops in the rain, wetting the landscape but doing nothing to abate what is to come.  The vocals seem to play off the guitar, an exciting combo that pushes the song ever forward. The atmosphere grows dense in the song’s mid section as the double bass adds a rumble of destructiveness that both drives against and compliments the melodies.  The last few minutes of the song meld beauty and numbing sorrow together as melancholic tapestries. 

“Echo IV - Molten In Endless Oblivion,” begins with a very moving acoustic/clean intro that fits in just fine with the doom that follows.  The vocal patterns are clever, making this song the one that was stuck in my head the most. I love how the melodies keep rising along side the extreme screams.  It all breaks against a flurry of drums and around the 4:22 mark the song changes to slow and menacing.  It builds back up nicely as the double bass pushes the melodies against the grain of the vocals until the song ends in a brief but beautiful acoustic moment that leads into a stupendous guitar solo. 

The last song, “Echo V - Forsaken Till Eschaton,” is more direct—by the time the minute and a half mark passes, the song is massive and oppressive.  As the five minute mark approaches, clean spoken word pushes through the dense forest of doom and it is a nice little touch.  From the 7:40 mark to the end, the drums and bass uptick the tempo and aggression.

“Novembryonal Echoes,” is one of my favorite albums that Andriy has been a part of and a sterling example of how doom can be beautiful and moving while still being gripping and downtrodden. 

Doubtsower - Nothing Reduced To Everything

Doubtsower is a one-man-band from Cardiff (Wales, UK) that plays experimental doom.  “Nothing Reduced To Everything,” is the project’s third full-length album.  The musician behind this mad but engaging brand of doom is Matt Strangis, who also plays bass for doom legends Pantheist and produces experimental electronic music under the allies “Kyam.” 

“Nothing Reduced To Everything,” is easily the most unique and out there doom album I have heard so far this year.  Honestly, when I first received the promo, I wasn’t sure if this was something I would like.  But I didn’t get myself, or the band, enough credit.  Simply put, this album is absolutely fantastic.

Yes, it is weird.  It is out there.  It takes the lines of doom and not only does it step outside those boundaries but it completely destroys them.  But it’s also the definition of true underground music, doom or otherwise.  It is raw, uncompromising to the 10th degree and has a major DIY atmosphere to it that only adds to its charm.  While the experimental aspects are wild, this is still definitely a doom metal album but it also blends in blackened, post-metal, stoner and electronic experimentation.  The notes I received for the album described it as “a non-purist, yet reverential, take on doom metal.”  That is pretty damn accurate.   Oh and Esoteric’s Greg Chandler mastered the album so it sounds great and every strange detail is as vibrant and dynamic as the music itself.

The album opens with “Trampled Ideals Sold Cut-Price,’ and what I can only describe as a “mechanical storm” opens the song before giving way to clean tones.  Any good doom album has a fantastic bass for that heavy low end and this one is no different.  I love how the bass sounds so deep, perfect for lying just under the clean tones.   Electronic drum loops (I guess that is what they are called, I am definitely not familiar with the terms for electronic music) fills the background while death growls pierce through the veil.  It somehow words and is oddly satisfying to have these loops mixed in.  The electronic elements increase as sweltering funeral doom riffs suffocate the air.  Despite this oppressive layer, all the different sounds still shine through—a true mixture of styles. 

“Liars Cheers All,” is cavernous, what with the bass and growls hammering away while some weird noise that I can’t describe other than “deep bouncing” ricochets off the doom. The middle portion of the song switches from harrowing mountains of doom to a beautiful clean section that took me by surprise but at this point, nothing should be off the table. As this passage grows, it becomes stoner/psychedelic before fading to clean tones that, in turn, grow back into monster levels of heavy.   

As a “shorter” song, the title track is one the more direct songs on the album but direct is used very liberally here.  The simple usage of what I think is a clock ticking away adds a sense of urgency to the song even when the first half is slow, clean tones.  But time soon runs out when that doom hammer drops once again—truly this is a straight up fine example of how to do extreme doom.  As the song progresses, it grows more unhinged and disconnected.  Hmm..not so direct after all!  I was listening to this with some decent headphones and I thought my head was being sucked into a black hole.  That’s right.

I pulled my head out of the black hole but only to find it vibrant to the point of near implosion because of the rumbling and spacey intro to “Collective Sigh.”  This intro lasts about 1:48 seconds long and it is rather unnerving.  Some of the best riffs on the album appear after but the clean, almost alien tones, keep going.  The mixture is maddening, in a good way.  Trippy, heavy, experimental.  I would say this song is one of the best examples of the sound Matt was going for for the album.  The middle portion is off beat with masterful use of clean guitar and a killer solo…somehow it all sounds off kilter…again, in a good way.  The last few minutes are Esoteric mixed with Pink Floyd and I’m right here for it.  

“Exhausting Demands of Decency,” is one of the more atmospheric songs on the album, letting the post influences through.  This song is truly disturbing sounding and it should have been on the soundtrack to a crazy movie like Event Horizon.  It’s horrific, spacey, and there is no way to know what’s around the corner.  By the time the death growls kick in, I was already exhausted from my brain melting down out of fear but the extremity of the vocals work so well with the music that my fear just doubled.   I’ve only heard a few bands that I could describe as “frightening” and this song is definitely that.

Probably not surprising but parts of the final song, “The Burnt Witch Of Civilized Behaviour,” remind me of Pantheist because of how perfectly weaved into the fabric of the songs the keys are. The first half of the song is a mixture of weird soundscapes and out there textures that still sound cohesive and coherent in context of the song.  The heavy guitar is there as well and if anything this song really shows how well even a genre as despondent as doom metal can be mixed with more unconventional avenues. 

Doubtsower’s “Nothing Reduced To Everything,” is a truly unique, imaginative, and unconventional album that tries to make a lot of things works–and nails it every damn time.  This is one album that absolutely needs to be experienced, regardless of what style of music you like. 

Heavy Temple - Garden of Heathens

There is heavy.  And there is Heavy Temple.  Of course, what makes a band heavy is very subjective.  With that being said, it is hard to imagine anyone listening to this band’s second full-length album “Garden of Heathens,” and not thinking that the sounds they heard were the audio equivalent of molten lead being poured into their ears.  

The band is “just” a three piece but they bring more to the table than many bands that have double, or even triple, those numbers.  The MVP of the album is no doubt High Priestess NightHawk, who provides both bass and vocals. That’s a hell of a name to call yourself but she’s a hell of a vocalist and bassist.  Her instrumental prowess alone brings in a dimensional weight to their music that is as heavy as the gravitational pull of the sun.

I’ve always been a straight up sucker for female vocals, especially in doom.  Gender doesn’t matter but I’ll be damned if women don’t have an extra power over doom metal.  There is just something about a powerful voice over liquid molten riffs that speaks to me.  Doesn’t speak to you?  Get some hearing aids.

While definitely rooted in doom, the band incorporates traditional metal, stoner and even psychedelic elements into their varied wheelhouse. I appreciate they aren't afraid to inject some faster tempos here and there—despite popular belief, doom doesn't always have to be slow.

The production/mix is pretty even across the board; every instrument gets its time to shine and nothing tries to overpower anything else.  I don’t go every song on most album’s but this one is so good I’m going to say a little something about each one.

The album opens with “Extreme Difference To Life,” and the drums are so goddamn groovy and are in incredible surgery with the flow and feel of the song. The riffs are THICK And just as groovy; they don't miss a beat and fill up every available space.  The last couple minutes feature a blistering performance of the whole band rocking out like beasts.

“Hiraeth,” has catchy vocal lines and the bass will knock you flat on your ass.  The song builds up in a subtle way—by the end of it, the head  is bruised from all the head banging.  The last minute of the song is pretty intense, especially with the wild guitar and explosive drums.

“Divine Indiscretion,” has heavy stoner vibes and a rock n roll aesthetic.  Around the 2:32 mark, the song speeds up with crisp, tight drumming.  The psychedelic guitars form in and out of a solo with little effort right before the band turns up the doom groove to notch 11.  This mid portion is wild, dizzying, and a hell of a jam session. 

 “House Of Warship,” builds up like the slow burn dirge it is.  This song is low, slow and a constant rumble that threatens to shake itself apart.  The fuzz alone will get you.  The tempo kicks up near the end with another clever guitar solo that beats the notes into you while the drums hammer them, making sure nothing escapes.

One of my favorite songs on the album is “Snake Oil (and other remedies).”  I love the melancholic opening that is more of a long intro.  As it builds, the tension and energy continues to build up. The band loves their instrumental jam session and I do too.  The vocals kick in around the halfway point and from there the song really kicks into gear. 

The title track is more of an interlude, a clean instrumental that bridges the gap to my favorite song on the album, “Jesus Wept.”  The lead guitar is really impressive in how it drives the song forward in its own opening moments.  The vocals are expressive and soar above the notes just before the song turns up the heavy factor–insanely gut punching especially just after the halfway mark where it seems the fuzz just creeps in through the ears and takes over. 

The last song, “Psychomanteum,” is a banger of an instrumental that incorporates the essence of their sound and reminds me of some of the stuff from early material by THE SWORD but better.  

Everything about this album is basically perfect.  There are riffs for days, courtesy of the unstoppable Christian Lopez.  Add in the tight and energetic drums of Baron Lycan that are second to none and you get a great album that absolutely smokes. Doom doesn’t get much better than this.

Stoner Head - Running High

STONERHEAD’s brand of stoner doom metal is an absolute blast.  The band's second full-length album, "Running High,” is an album that has a ton more energy than most bands of this style.  Of course, there are riffs for days as well—just a metric ton of groove is laden across the album like a blanket of hot lead.  

A large percentage of my music jamming time takes place in my car. For anyone driving behind me while playing this album, I must have looked possessed because I was non-stop banging to the non-stop riffs from this German band.  

What is most impressive about the album is the atmosphere they generate. This band is super confident in their sound and it really can be heard—there is a definite swagger to everything they do and they back it up tenfold.

Phil's and Christian's riffs flow like magma from a volcano and there is no doubt to their ability to play the strings, their fingers weaving their magic. From rock to stoner to doom, their styles offers a varied approach for the genre. Phil's vocals are on point too. The stoner genre isn't well known for vocal prowess but his pipes soar through the air and are quite expressive.

Anna and Igor are an explosive rhythm machine and keep this well oiled machine running while simultaneously compliment the songs and providing ultra intense layers. I'll go over a few of my favorite songs and moments below.

The album opens up with the steady beat of “Someone Please.” The vocal cadence is catchy as hell. The dense riffs are heavy as a plenty but flow smooth as a stream. The lead guitar near the end adds a psychedelic element to the song and it works great especially the ending groove.

“Super Mario” is an album highlight—it does so many wonderful things. The opening is long and even a little atmospheric due to the bass and drums. The smattering Of guitar licks lend the song a hazy, shamanic vibe with the smoky vocals bring it home. I love how the song ebbs and flows between the tribal-like stoner segments and heavier guitar. This is one tripped out and memorable song.

How could I not talking about the final song, “Tweaky Mind?” This beast is nearly 11 minutes long and caps off the album perfectly. Anna's powerful voice is commanding In the beginning. Her approach is expressive and almost sultry But even a little haunting.  Near the halfway point Phil and the boys jump in. The tempo is increased but the songs opening atmosphere is retained. The last couple minutes are a psychotic bulldozer that twists the mind even while flattening It.

All in all, “Running High” Displays how powerful this brand of metal/doom/rock can be. The band's love for their style and their instrumental prowess shines through the entire runtime.