Doomed For Metal Reviews

Forsmán is a black metal band from Iceland, who formed in 2019.  Their latest release, “ Brenndar rústir & fuðrandi fjörur ,” is their full-length debut; they have also released an EP. This album is pure fire.  That may be ironic considering where they are from but the energy on display here is impressive as hell. Of course, atmospherically speaking, “ Brenndar rústir & fuðrandi fjörur ,” is cold as the frozen North and retains so much of what makes black metal both distant and dangerous.  However, this is more than just your standard black metal.  This album has a lot going on within it; the nearly 45-minute runtime is very busy and chock full of intricate riffs and dissonance.  What is most impressive is that it doesn’t sound convoluted and the mix is on point.  Despite the chaos that never seems to end, the low end and the rhythms just pop out.  The sound of this album is just straight up MASSIVE.  It’s very primal, it’s raw to a degree...

Rodtgod is a one-man sludge/doom metal band from Germany, who formed in 2016.  The project’s latest release, “ Tales from Beyond the Tomb ,” is their third full-length album; they have also released an EP.  The musician behind this is simply called, as far as I know, C and has a couple other bands ( Galvornhathol , Pissbucket ) that I am not familiar with.  I get a lot of promos—a lot.  Over the years, I have trained myself to know when I need to give up on a particular one or if it feels like a grower.  When I first listened to “ Tales from Beyond the Tomb ,” I liked it but also knew that my feelings on it would probably change because it was obvious this is an album that is a bit different and needs more time to soak in. So, what’s so different about “ Tales …?”  Its feet are definitely firmly planted into death/doom and abrasive sludge.  It’s very heavy with some killer extreme vocals.  With that being said, it doesn’t feel oppressive, caverno...

Umbersound is a one-man doom metal band from Staten Island, New York City, New York, featuring musician Joe D'Angelo (guitarist for Grey Skies Fallen ) on vocals and all the instruments.  The latest release, “ Tracks from the Slither ,” is the project’s third full-length album; two EPs have also been released.  I reviewed the previous album, “If the Flies Could Sing,” and gave it good marks but “ Tracks from the Slither ,” is just as good and maybe even better.  This album continues Joe’s brand of doom that is a little more traditional than what he does in Grey Skies Fallen but no less heavy.  The atmosphere of this album is pretty fucking sinister—-it almost seems horrific, in a way.  Regardless, this is a very dark album with some unnerving moments. What’s interesting about this album is that it almost feels like two different ones.  I find the first half of the album to offer a more direct sound while the last five songs are more atmospheric in tone. ...