Doomed For Metal Reviews

Scare is a metallic hardcore/sludge band from Canada, who formed in 2015 and quickly put out their first demo.   After their debut full-length “ Not Dead Yet, Probably… ” and an EP in 2021, the band returns with their second full-length “ In The End, Was It Worth It? ” Hardcore isn’t really my thing but if I don’t step outside my comfort zone from time to time then what’s the point of reviewing?  Besides, the press release mentioned ‘sludge’ so there is no way I was going to ignore this.  Hey, what can I say?  I’m a simple man; I see the word ‘sludge’ and say yes. “ In The End, Was It Worth It? ” is certainly worth my time and yours, even if you are like me and shy away from hardcore.  There is more than enough abrasive metal and unstoppable energy shoved into the album’s 13 song, 32 minute runtime  to satisfy even the most cynical metalheads.  Of course, I imagine there are plenty of hardcore fans who shy away from metal but I promise you all thi...

Relics of Humanity is a brutal death metal band from Belarus, who formed in 2007.  Their latest album, “ Absolute Dismal Domain ,” is their third full-length album; they have also released three demos, a compilation, and an EP.    Brutal death metal isn’t the most subtle form of extreme metal out there, oftentimes being so goddamn against the grain that it makes even ‘regular’ death metal seem tame by comparison.  Well, “ Absolute Dismal Domain ” makes even brutal death seem tame by comparison.  This is a nearly incomprehensible album that straight up eviscerates across its 9 song, 32 minute runtime.  This album gets in, gets off, and gets out.  When it comes to this style, I’m not sure what else you could ask for.  That’s a statement, not a question. It’s not just the music that is heavy but the atmosphere too.  The production is dismal, dark, and just disgustingly morbid.  Although definitely not doom (well, maybe the last song but mo...

Silent Deep Ocean is a funeral doom band, of international origins with its two members, Gregory Ritchey and Tehina Spasova , hailing from Texas and Bulgaria, respectively.  It initially began as a one-man project, with Gregory the sole member.  It has since expanded to include Tehina , who provides vocals along with piano and guitar on some songs.   “ In Dark Eternity ,” is the band’s fourth full-length album.  Tehina joining the band has really upped Silent Deep Ocean ’s doom game, adding a whole new dimension to their sound.   She has her own doom metal project called Destruction of Orion.  Last year that project released “ Decreasing Brightness ,” so if you like funeral doom I would suggest checking that album out as well.  What I’ve always liked about this band is that even though it is firmly in the funeral doom side of the genre, it doesn’t always sound hopeless, cavernous, or utterly devoid of life.  For me, Ritchey ’s songwri...

SARS is a blackened death metal band from Poland, who formed in2018. Their latest release is “ Synthetic Domination .”  This is their full-length album but they also released an EP in 2021. With 8 songs and a runtime of 29 minutes, this album is blistering and to-the-point, wasting no time in unfurling its wings of extremity. The production and mix really needs its praise too! It's a very modern mix, meaning it's loud (but not overly) and the instruments all have a strong kick to them. Every element is balanced against each other; nothing has to fight for my attention because it's all presented equally. It makes for a very smooth listen, in terms of pacing. Combining that with its somewhat short runtime, and the whole album feels like a beating in real time. That's a compliment, by the way. Musically, the album doesn't really conform to one style, tempo or approach.  Across the various elements of death and black metal, the tempo changes to fit what is needed.  Betw...

 Harakiri For The Sky is a black/post metal band from Austria, who formed in 2011. Their latest album, “ Scorched Earth ,” is their sixth full-length album.  “ Mære ,” was a stunning achievement so how does this new one stand out? Simply put, “ Scorched Earth ,” is another edition of the bands flawless discography. While they still wholeheartedly continue to embrace their black metal roots, the duo has somehow managed to make their music even more dynamic and emotionally arresting. However, I find this album to quite possibly be their most accomplished and focused work yet with better use of their long song structures. As strong as their past works have been, I have always found they, at times, wander too much and have trouble deciding when to end the song.  “ Scorched Earth ,” doesn't have this issue.  Though the songs remain long, there is a better sense of purpose and more focus on using the time to their advantage. The production is fantastic as well. It's dense...

Corroding Soul is a one-man atmospheric/post- black metal project that formed in 2023 from UK musician David Lovejoy .  His latest release is the project’s self-titled debut; two EPs have also been released.   This album is REALLY impressive.  It’s incredibly smooth with a  warm sound to it; from beginning to end, this four song, 39 minute piece of music unfurls like a dreamscape.  These adjectives get thrown around a lot but it’s never been more fitting than with this album.  I review a lot of music but it has been a while since an album has truly earned being called 'world building'.  What’s so impressive is how it presents itself: hopeful.  Yes, it has a lot of black metal elements and,  yes, it’s more than heavy enough.  As an extension of its natural roots it’s bleak and forlorn in many places.  But no matter where the music goes, there is an air of hope and optimism among the wreckage.  Things are bad but they can a...

Winds of Tragedy is a black metal band from Chile, who formed in 2021.  It’s actually a one-man band project from the always impressive Sergio González Catalán (also of the bands My Dearest Wound and Rise To The Sky ).  In addition to all that, he also runs two labels:  Tragedy Productions and End My Life records.  Busy guy but he apparently doesn’t let that hurt the quality of his output because this project’s latest, and third overall,  album, “ Death Wash Over Me ,” is WoT ’s best album and one of Sergio’s best, overall. Krzysztof Klingbein serves as session drummer.   Winds of Tragedy have always had doom elements to their music and this isn’t album isn’t different in that respect.  However, Sergio is now leaning hard into more blackened territory, specifically DSBM.  The result is one of the most visceral and engaging albums of 2024.  I am sorry I’m just now getting around to reviewing it but, hey, I’m a busy guy too.  ...

Urfeind is a black metal band from Germany who formed in 2015. Their latest release, “ Dau​þ​alaikaz ,” is their third full-length album; they have also released an EP. Yes! This is EXACTLY how I like my black metal: punishing but with a sense of adventurous purpose. It’s aggressive ,each song laced with nearly uncontainable rage. But it doesn’t always need those elements as endless speed or old-school mentalities that don’t allow the band’s songwriting to shine. There are parts where it is fast and it certainly also includes many moments of that classic caustic, 100% against the grain underground sound that has made black metal so famous. But it has more to it than just that. It’s also melodic and atmospheric, unafraid to introduce subtle sprawling moments into what incorrectly may seem like ‘just’ simple songs.   The production is PERFECT. It's just haunting enough but has weight to it—this is an incredibly dense album.  “ Dau​þ​alaikaz ” is an deceptively enga...

Nigrum is a black band from Mexico, who formed in 2015.  Their latest release, “ Blood Worship Extremism ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released two EPs and a demo.  This is a very powerful album. It's raw, energetic, and visceral as hell. From beginning to end, the album is perpetually moving forward.Its movement has purpose though. The blackened fury is used as a tool to propel the songwriting, not become It. It's riff based with a sterling instrumentation that makes it sound much more mature than most raw black metal. But It still sounds primitive and underground, in the best ways possible.  It opens with the title track, a statement unto itself. The bass throbs along with the drums, the two instruments creating as much chaos as an earthquake. The wild and chaotic nature of the song sets the tone for the rest of the album.  It also represents the idea that even though black metal in its purest form is raw and evil, that doesn’t mean songwriti...

Mutagenic Host is a death metal band from London, England who hit the scene with their debut demo in 2023.  They are ready to reveal their true power with “ The Diseased Machine ,” their debut full-length album.  This is quite the impressive debut album!   It’s an album of balance, in every way.  The production/mix nails down how to present a death metal album with real weight but still package it in modern sound without compromising any of the genre’s brutal elements. The tempo isn’t too fast or too slow.  With that said, however, they aren’t comfortable just throwing the songs out in a mid paced display either.  The speed of the songs vary when needed and will sometimes change several times within the songs themselves. That’s another aspect of the album I really enjoy: it changes and refreshes itself in a way that feels very natural, very organic but those changes aren’t abrupt—this isn’t tech death or prog but death metal that seeks to march to its...

Gnipahålan is a black metal band from Sweden, who hit the scene back in 2014 with their debut demo.  Several demos, EPs, splits, and compilations later, the band is ready to launch their third full-length album “ Folkstorm .”   This is actually a one-man project from musician Swartadauþuz , who runs Ancient Records and is in a ton of bands including but not limited to Greve, Kekeeth, Nexehmu, and Trolldom.  Apparently, this album was actually conceived n 2016 so this is, chronologically, the band’s second album.  Session drummer K provides a sterling performance and keeps the album very well grounded among its roots.  “ Folkstorm ,” is an ice-cold album that sounds like it was recorded on a glacier in the middle of some frozen void.   It’s threatening, violent, and raw—just how black metal should be.  However, it’s more than that as well.  Beneath the rough exterior of its very fitting production, lies an oddly beautiful album with a lot...

The Cimmerian is a doom/sludge/stoner metal Band from California who hit the scene in 2022 with their first single “ Neckbreaker of the Mountain .”   After two EPs, they are now ready to drop their full-length debut “ An Age Undreamed Of .”  This is a well written album that hits all the right notes! It is nearly an hour long with eight songs but it flows smoothly, despite how abrasive the music is.  There is a huge stoner vibe to it but it doesn’t sound sleepy—it sounds rumbling like a volcano leading up to an eruption.  The bass helps a lot with this…in fuzz we trust!  The guitars are thick and paired with the bass….this is a heavy hitter of an album that constantly feels like a  two punch to the face.   The drums are yet another fantastic album; much like the guitars/bass, their sound is robust and just adds another layer to what is already a mountainous project.   The vocals are sludge grows/yells, that are the audio equivalent of having...

Inborn Suffering is a melodic death/doom metal band from France, who formed in 2002. Their latest album “ Pale Grey Monochrome ” is their third full-length album and their first one of original material since 2012!  They did release an alternate version of their modern classic debut album “Wordless Hope” in 2022.  With such a long time between material, does the band have what it takes to still be relevant in today’s world of doom?  What kind of question is that? Of course they do!  “ Pale Grey Monochrome ,” takes their trademark sound of emotional and beautifully dark doom to new heights. It isn’t that they have reinvented the wheel of doom but rather reinvented their own wheel.  To me, that is just as important, if not more so.   I love it when a band embraces who they truly are, makes no apologies for it, and zeroes in on all the elements that made them great in the first place.  “ Pale Grey Monochrome ,” does just that.  This is a dour, t...

Bullhead is a metal band from the UK, who formed in 2016.  After releasing two demos, they are ready to unleash their debut EP “ Methcrush .” Their press release said the album is made up of “pure noisy, abrasive sludge metal with bits of crust punk, black metal, and death metal thrown in, too.”   Well, the band certainly knows who they are and what they play because that description is straight up on point!  This five track EP with a run time of just over 20 minutes packs more energy and power than a lot of full-lengths I’ve heard in the past year.   Its crust punk aesthetic is against the grain—unbelievable raunchy atmosphere with the attitude to back it up.   The guitar tone is killer—sludgy as hell with fuzz that’s layered in poisonous spikes.  There is more than enough groove in the guitars/bass to make this violent noise headbanging and, surprisingly, more catchy than it has any right to be.  The vocals go a long way with the album’s ab...

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.   I reviewed their precious EP, “ Living Just For Dying ,” and found it to be a challenging but rewarding listen.  So what about their newest EP, “ One of These Knives ?” Like always, the band runs through a gauntlet of styles both metal and not-so-metal.  No matter what they choose to play, it’s always interesting because of their exemplary songwriting skills.   This is a much darker piece of music and the band’s ability to look into this void while still laughing in its face to bring us this EP’s many twists and turns is impressive.  The first song, “ Varsak of Man ,” is an excellent metal song.   The bass stands out very well—melodic yet textured with robust Gothic heavin...

Qaalm is a doom/sludge band from Los Angeles, California who formed in 2017.  Their latest album, “ Grave Impressions of an Unbroken Arch ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released an EP and a split. Although the album is definitely rooted in doom and sludge, it isn’t limited to just those genres.  “ Grave Impression… ” is a surprisingly progressive album that mixes it up along the way with a variety of sounds and styles.   Their brand of doom is immersive but it is fused with rough sludge, black metal, post metal and prog rock.  Vocalist/guitarist Henry Elis is a dynamic vocalist who offers everything from death growls to expressive cleans.  Along with Minsu Kim and session bassist Chris Cozzi , he provides a similar performance with the guitars.   Although the four tracks are cohesive with one another and flow very well, each song is like its own world.  This is a beefy release with a lot happening between its many layers a...

Druparia is a melodic death metal band from Ohio who formed in 2018.  Their latest album, “ The River Above ,” is their full-length debut; they have also released a demo. “ The River Above ,” is a really good album—so good that it’s hard to believe this is their debut album.  The guys really know how to craft melodic death metal.  What I like so much about it is that it sounds modern, especially in terms of its production, but it has that old-school feel to it.   Its tempo is wonderfully balanced as well.  Each of the songs is fast-paced and full of energy but they aren’t too fast and don’t sound rushed.  They rock balls out but still take the time to let their melodies and harmonies stand tall.   There is a lot of charm to this album, in how the various parts are weaved together.  The clean instrumentation transitions (and blends) seamlessly with the death metal parts, all the way the atmosphere is catchy, brought to life by the engaging son...