Doomed For Metal Reviews

Gods & Punks is a Brazilian doom metal band, who formed in 2013. Their latest release, “ Death ,” is their fifth full-length album; they have already five EPs and a live album under their belt as well.  The South American doom scene is crazy good and I can’t think of one band from the scene that I haven’t enjoyed. Somehow, this album is the first time I’m hearing of Gods & Punks brand of doom…and I’m blown away. “ Death ,” is a doom metal album, pretty close to stoner/psychedelic tendencies with some rock and roll elements. This particularly genre is stuffed to the brim with all kinds of bands of varying qualities. Do we need one more? Yes, yes we do. Why? Because “ Death ” is a fresh sounding album with a unique approach.  It isn’t any one thing that makes it unique—the overall album just sounds different from anything else I’ve heard from the stoner genre this year. Maybe it’s the vocals, which are expressive and equal parts hazy and soaring. Perhaps i...

Absorb is a death/doom metal band from Canada, who formed in 2013.  Their latest release is their second EP “ Smog ” but they have also released two full-length albums over the years. With three tracks and a runtime of nearly 25 minutes, it’s a decent amount of music for an EP.  Doom, and anything under its myriad umbrella, is my favorite genre so I can be quite picky.  However, Absorb’s latest EP is right up my alley.     The production is stark and deep—I review music with a decent pair of headphones and each song sounded like it was sending me further down to the next level of hell.  Musically, it’s slow, low, and exemplifies what one would expect from a death/doom band.  However, the songs are very much structure and riff based—it’s atmospheric of course but the EP builds an actual meaty body structure instead of relying on long drawn out liminal spaces or ambient textures. Erik ’s vocals are abrasive, offering up growls and screams for ...

Laceration is a death/thrash band from California, who formed in 2006.  Their latest album, “ I Erode ” is their second full-length album; they have also released four demos, a split, and an EP.   Although their Metallum page labels this death/thrash, this leans more towards death metal to me.  However, when death metal is played with some unbridled energy as this album, the lines between the two genres tend to be blurred a little. Regardless of what you want to call it, this album is a blazing white hot beast of a ripper.  The production/mix is sharp as hell.   Some might prefer a little more grime to their extremity but it works for the album, allowing each note from each instrument to stand out as a loud, violent example of how to craft death metal in a modern way that still honors the gods of old. As with any great death metal album, the songs are focused on the riffs.  That isn’t a problem for lead guitarist Donnie , bassist Eli and vocalist/guit...

ColdCell is a black metal band from Switzerland, who formed in 2012. Their latest album, “ Age of Unreasoning ,” is their fifth full-length album; they have also released an EP. This is my first experience with the band's brand of black metal but I'm impressed. Their sound is a very convincing mixture of atmospheric leaning and a classic black metal sound.  It is aggressive and extreme but not in a rushed way. Of course there are faster tempo parts throughout the album but the band certainly isn't afraid to take a slower approach, a methodical look at their own style to let it all marinate and sink in. And it will do just that--this is a creepy album, unnerving and vile in many ways. Fans would argue that's the point of black metal but “ Age of Unreasoning ” approaches the style in such a way that these elements are just two more weapons in their arsenal. This is a layered album and peeling back each one exposes a different form of which the dark, bleak melancholic soun...

The Depressick is a DSBM band from Mexico City, Mexico who formed in 2013.  “ Faded.exe ” is their second full-length album; they have also released two demos, three EPs, and three splits. I don’t know much about Mexico city in particular or Mexico in general, but it must be one depressing place to create music like this.  The desperation, the despondency, is so thick across the album’s 7 track, 46 min runtime that it’s mentally exhausting at times.  Of course, the band includes post and atmospheric elements as well so the sadness is tripled.   In the band’s own words, “negativity, misery, poverty, sickness and filth,” of their environment contributes to their bleak sound.  It sounds like the members haven’t had the best life and have been put through the ringer.  With that being said, they are clearly trying to persevere, in a way, to use these experiences to push out great music like this.  It feels odd calling something born out of such misery...

Obscene is a death metal band from Indiana, who formed in 2017. “ Agony and Wounds ” is their third full-length Album; they have also released an EP. “ Agony and Wounds ” is an album that doesn’t try to hide it’s influences or pretend it is anything other than straight up death metal.   There is a certain charm to knowing who and what you are—I like that kind of confidence.  And in today’s scene, sub genres get blurred very often and, while there isn’t anything wrong with that, it is ironically refreshing at times when a band doesn’t want to sound, well, refreshing.  Give me old school death metal any time of the day, any where.   The production is solid–it’s loud and boisterous but every instrument can be heard with clarity; every brutal note hits hard, fast, and is razor sharp.  Every performance sounds meaty—this is a very robust, full sounding album. Overall, the album is a nonstop banger.  While there are moments of slow to mid paced tempos a...

Wizard Tattoo is an Indianapolis-based progressive metal project from multi-instrumentalist Bram the Bard.  The project blends in a ton of different styles....doom, progressive, black metal, jazz, and even grunge all find a place in this project's highly unique approach. Their latest release is their EP “ Living Just For Dying ,” a follow up to their debut full-length “ Fables of the Damned .”  With four tracks across a runtime of 20 minutes, this short but sweet mini-adventure packs a lot of interesting and highly engaging material.   I’m a firm believer that unique music needs to be promoted.  Is this outside my wheelhouse?  Definitely.  Hell, it’s probably outside most people’s wheelhouse.  But even if I didn’t like it (which I do!), I’d still be writing this because something this different needs to be exposed.  I’ve always heard (and said it myself quite a few times) there is nothing new under the sun.  For the most part, that stil...

Sarajah is a doom metal band from Finland who formed in 2010.  This self-titled album is their full-length debut; they also released a demo in 2017. The band's sound is a more traditional style of doom, a stark contrast to the other members' bands.  Both vocalist Magus and drummer H.Wizzard are from Fimir . Guitarist J.H. is the musician behind Shades of Deep Water and In Depths of Winter . Still, while Sarajah may lack the extreme elements of the aforementioned bands, they are still doom and just as heavy in their own way. J.H. and  bassist/second guitarist Jeff Pekkilä bring riffs for days. Each song captures the classic feel of old school Doom through the worshiping of thick, fat riffs that go on for days. H. Wizzard 's drums are as impenetrable as the guitars, offering a meaty approach that is powerful and vibrant. Traditional doom isn't usually known for its vocal prowess but Magus is an absolute beast. He doesn't use filtered vocals, an overly gruff speak...

Liminal Shroud is a black metal band from Canada, who formed in 2018.  Their new album, “ Visions of Collapse ,” is their third full-length album; they have also released a demo. Liminal Shroud have become one of my favorite modern black metal bands.  They reach a level of despondency that has now been taken to the next level with “ Visions of Collapse .”  As with their past albums, their black metal is absolutely loaded with melancholy and depressive atmospheres.  However, they dive head first into the songwriting on this album; but instead of getting trapped within themselves, they harness their true potential. The songs are more intricate and grasp the concept of melody and the understand that it can be used to make a bleak sound even more unfathomable.   Yes, their music has always had these traits but now they are zeroed in on it more than ever.   With five tracks, it stretches its boundaries across 44 minutes of length, a little longer tha...

Vanhelgd is a death metal band from Sweden, who formed in 2007.  “ Atropos Doctrina ” is their six full-length album; they also released an EP in 2010. Although rooted in death metal, “ Atropos Doctrina ,” is an album with a black metal atmosphere.  It’s raw, grim, depressive, and constantly tearing on the edge of insanity.   Musically, it stands outside the edge of death metal as well, offering a variety of blackened and melodeath passages that push the band’s dynamics further.  Vanhelgd has a firm grasp on these ideas and how to use them; their sound is encompassing and they use everything in their arsenal to present this frigid, desolate landscape. The vocals go a long way in presenting these ideas—they sound depraved through the use of growls and screams, both of which sound like they are about to snap and proceed to a mental collapse.   The guitars weave in and out of the various genres with ease, their tone always keeping the feel of the music to...

Hangman's Hymn is a blackened doom metal band from Belgium, who formed in 2021.  After an EP and a string of singles, the band has dropped their debut full-length album  “ Life Is Not A Miracle .”   The two musicians behind the band are scene veterans, GVC and XDS , both of which have been in a plethora of bands, including Aken Manah , Splendidula , Anomalocaris , Witherwill , and Plagueland .  “ Life Is Not A Miracle ,” may be rooted in black and doom metal but the dimensions which hold it together include atmospheric and melodic touches.  It makes for a compelling journey as the perpetual darkness that permeates from the album benefits from these other styles, stretching their core sound to other boundaries.  A lot of drum of images and sounds of “lighter” bands like power metal or anything in the Gothenburg scene when someone speaks of a band using melodies or harmonies.  But the truth is, melody doesn’t always mean those things and can help m...

2 Wolves is a metal band from Finland, who formed in 2011.  Their latest release, “ Not Worth It ,” is their fifth full-length album.  This my first experience with the band so, going in blind, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well, it is safe to say I am blown away by “ Not Worth It .”  The music is definitely rooted in Gothic Doom but has a melancholic, melodic atmosphere not unlike melodic death.  This pedigree isn’t a surprise considering their country of origin.  No one creates broken and beaten down melancholy like Finland.   I would best describe this album as the love child of Moonspell and Swallow The Sun .  If that doesn’t get you excited, then there is little hope for you. Musically, they have plenty of moments of transitioning from clean to distorted tones, fully grasping the depressive aspects of doom by embracing it with a Gothic touch.  The tempo is slow to mid-paced but there are a few moments here and there where the band speed...

Skelethal is a death metal band from France, who formed in 2012.  Their latest album, “ Within Corrosive Continuums ,” is their third full-length album.  They have also released two demos, three splits, three EPs, and a compilation.  This album is dirty and nasty as hell, as if it was spat out by the fires of some mysterious, blood soaked nightmare void.  Gui ’s vocals are tremendously haunting as much as they are brutal, with a perfect amount of echo used.  Will the growls hammer you to death?  Yes. Or will they creep inside like an ethereal miasma and burst from within? Also, yes. He and the other guitarist, Lucas , cast sickening, horrific spells of six string madness with their suffocating riffs.  They play an effective combination of old school worship, modern intensity, not afraid to include melodic moments and even progressive elements.   Julien ’s bass and Ilmar ’s drums provide much of the album's sound and the two of them work...

Flamecrown is a one man black metal band from Panama, who formed in 2021.  “ Fire Mountain ,” is the project’s debut album.  The mastermind behind the blackened carnage is none other than Ricardo " Lebzul " Brenes , the musician behind Doomslut , Estrangulación Fecal , Lake of Depression , and Spirit of the Deep Water . While Ricardo ’s background tends to be doom oriented, “ Fire Mountain ,” forays into blackened territory to offering a different take on extremity. Musically, it is abrasive, sharpened on the edge but just raw enough to have a meaty sound, eschewing a thin small sound that plagues much of black metal.  The vocals are gritty, going for a low snarling growl with a spoken word cadence instead of endless shrieks. I much prefer this take as it makes the atmosphere feel arcade and ancient. I like the variety offered in the guitars; the songs are very much riff based without the use nonstop tremolo picking. The drums offer more than constant banging and complim...

Amarok is an extreme doom metal band from California, who formed in 2010. “ Resilience ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released three splits and an EP.  The band’s sound leans towards death doom but I also hear Gothic, black metal, and funeral doom elements.  “ Resilience ,” is exactly the kind of doom metal I like.  Long songs, slow tempo (for the most part), abrasive vocals,  murky atmosphere and a hefty rhythm section to hold all those intimidating elements up.  At a run time of over an hour with just five tracks, this is a meaty release that requires patience.  Give yourself some time to let this album wash (well, CRUSH) over you and a rewarded experience will be found. Despite their oppressive sound, the opening song, “ Charred (X) ,” reveals the album doesn't shy away from melody.  It’s a natural, organic process that isn’t thrown in for the sake of fluffing up the runtime or to fill in gaps for the sole purpose of getting to...

Octoploid is a progressive death metal band from Finland who formed in 2022.  “ Beyond The Aeons ,” is their full-length debut. Octoploid is actually a project from the ever creative Olli-Pekka Laine , most notably from Amorphis but also Barren Earth and Mannhai . Although the prog elements are best used to help describe the band’s sound, it’s also often very melodic.  The band also isn’t afraid to venture into more extreme realms.  Honestly, at times, this sounds like early Amorphis . As the cover art and name might suggest, the album is also very trippy and psychedelic as well.   To help bring his creation to life, Olli-Pekka Laine recruited some damn good musicians.    Mikko Pietinen , also from Mannhai , provides the drums. Much like the music, his style is varied and holds down the foundation even as he helps push the band into new sonic territories.  Peter Salonen ( Death Mex ) lends his talents on guitar, offering a performance that runs ...

Silent Deep Ocean is a one-man doom metal project from Venus, Texas who formed in 2020. The musician behind the music is Greg Ritchey  and “ The Throne of Whispers and Dust ” is the project’s debut full-length album. The music is best described as funeral doom–it is dark, deep, and cavernous.  However it is also very atmospheric, expansive and even ambient in many places..  The songs flow very well even as they unfurl into unknown landscapes to eventually reveal their details.   Greg has used a concept called “ Endtroducing ,” a technique that was revolutionary in the electronic music world, developed by a composer named DJ Shadow, who used it to create  an instrumental hip-hop album entirely out of samples. A lot of those ideas are incorporated here, using keys, software, and VSTs to help create his vision of this ethereal, doom-laden world.  It’s very engaging and interesting and it could not have been easy to write and create but Greg pulls it off....

Stormwatchers is a heavy rock band from the wilds of North Carolina, who formed in 2017.  Their sound is quite interesting as it combines doom, psychedelic, and blues into one massive sound. " Rites ," is their full-length debut, after a previous EP.  The three members succeed in crafting a style that sounds like they have double the members–the trio contains, and lets loose, a lot of power across the 10 song, 52 minute runtime.   Guitarist/vocalist Celeste King is an absolute beast.  Her vocals are phenomenal!  Expressive, powerful, emotional, towering…any positive adjective I could use to describe a vocalist could be used for her and she would fucking own it.  Her guitar playing is just as commanding, she provides riffs, riffs, and more riffs.  Oh and some riffs.   Bassist Matt Owens provides the all important low end–and he can play anything, not content to just follow the guitar around the block.  His tone is always deep and r...

Disloyal is a death metal band from Poland, who formed in 1997. “ Divine Miasmata ,” is their fifth full-length album; they have also released a demo, a compilation and an EP. “ Divine Miasmata ,” has a disturbingly distinctive tone.  It sounds cavernous and endless like a doom band but it has the fire, speed, energy and fury of death metal.  Its rolling devastation seems endless yet the songwriting is tighter than the hangman's noose. The atmosphere matches the songs more so than many other albums I’ve heard this year.  It’s hellish without a doubt but there is a nervous, unhinged quality to the songs that push the album to insane sonic dimensions. The guitars, conjured by Yahor and Artem , are laced with a dense tone, completely devoid of light.  Any melody presented by them only serves to put a dim light on their monstrous stalking. Blood sakes riffs, moldy passages, and bursts of unrelenting speed all find a place amongst the songs, oftentimes peppered with a flo...

Duskwalker is a death/thrash metal band from Canada, who formed in 2015 as The Offering but changed to their moniker in 2018.   They released one album as The Offering but  “ Underground Forever ,” is their third full-length album as Duskwalker . This album is highly infectious, taking thrash and death metal, putting them into a blender and spitting them out as a surprisingly catchy album.  This is a rip-roaring time, checking off all the boxes for what makes a good, even great, death/thrash album.  What tends to turn me off from most modern thrash is that it often sounds overly dated, a modern touch that tries to be relevant but can’t seem to let go of the path.  Another issue tends to be the vocals, which have been average at best in my experience.  However,  Duskwalker and “ Underground Forever ,” don’t have to worry about either of these issues.  Their sound is modern enough to actually sound like they had fun playing it and didn’t spen...