Doomed For Metal Reviews

SORROWFUL LAND is a one band melodic death/doom project from the Ukraine that was formed in 2014 by mastermind Max Molodtsov in 2014. “Faded Anchors Of The Past,” is the project's third full length album; he has also released one demo, an EP, and a split album. This is my first experience with SORROWFUL LAND but I am impressed—this is one solid doom album. This album zeroes in on what makes this style of doom so great. It is appropriately dark and heavy but Max’s ability to write a song is undeniably strong—all eight tracks are well put together. Despite their length and all the content within, they flow  well. The album is a little over an hour long but never once does it get boring or go off the rails. <p> It certainly doesn’t hurt the album to have a plethora of great guest stars. Pierre Laube (Doomed), Henrik Ekholm (Hadriel), Stefan Nordstorm (Soliloquium and Desolator, among others), Kaivan Saraei (A Dream Of Poe), and Bruno Spell (A Dream Of Poe) all lend their conside...

Distant is a deathcore band from the Netherlands who formed in 2014. "Heritage" is their third full length album; they have also released four EPs. I'll be up front and honest: I'm not a huge deathcore fan. The bands in the genre certainly have talent but it just isn’t for me. I say this because I want to be understood when I say how good Distant and their album “Heritage” really is. Their electronics/keys are one of the highlights to me because they give the album a sci-fi vibe. They aren’t over used either or relied upon to carry the songs—the myriad sounds and noises help enhance the overall atmosphere and add a distinct flavor to the songs. The production, as it is with most deathcore I’ve heard, is loud and clean–perhaps too much but it does work in favor with the album’s style. Every little electronic noise can be heard clearly and the guitar riffs are put front in center—unbelievably crushing. This all works out because “Heritage” is an album that is absol...

This is really well done melodic black metal with catchy melodies and arrangements.  https://youtu.be/OW4VtcIX9Io

Ahab is unquestionably one of the best funeral dooms. Their discography is small but every album is masterful. They spend a long time between albums but the quality is always guaranteed. This new one is yet again another stellar dark journey unto the abyss. https://ahab.bandcamp.com/album/the-coral-tombs

Melodic yet raw to a degree....progressive a bit too with great song structure. This is prime example of what modern black metal should be. https://oubliette.bandcamp.com/album/the-passage

Oceangrave is a death/doom metal band from Italy, a project headed by one band Matteo Manfredini. Daniele Lupidi (Valgrind, Hateful, Huronian) once again provides bass and he is also did the album's excellent cover art. As solid as their debut, "Fall Breathless To No Where" was, this second full length album, "The Buried Inheritance," is huge leap in bounds of quality in any way that an album could be measured on. Although the base of their sound is built around death metal, this album is rather melodic with a lot of beautiful passages interspersed between the heavier moments. The rhythm section is tight as hell--neither the bass or the drums are overbearing for the sake of being heavy. Each instrument does what it needs to do to let the melodic moments shine while doubling down for the more aggressive sections. The production is smooth, letting each instrument be heard but it isn't so slick to take away the gloomy atmosphere. The album opens with ...

Lord Mountain's full length debut album is absolutely fun to listen to. It is old school/epic doom but the production is open and wide. The bass slaps, vocals are catchy, and the riffs and drums are solid as hell. It is hard to believe this is their full length debut! This young of a band and already this good? Hell yes! THE OATH by Lord Mountain