Doomed For Metal Reviews

Well, now for something completely different! Before this release, I didn't know anything about the Massachusetts based Eight Foot Manchild . But someone in the band sent me the promo for this album, their fifth EP " Do Spirits Return? " and described it as “doombrass” so I figured why the hell not give it a chance? I love doom and, believe it or not, I was in concert/marching band during my middle and high school years (I played trombone).  Of course, I sucked so much ass that I gargled my own balls. However, this band does….whatever the opposite of gargling balls is.  Although sax certainly isn't a stranger to doom (or metal, in general), I can't say I know a lot of bands that also incorporate trombone and tuba into the mix. At the very least, I never would have imagined all these instruments would be in a doom metal band. And a damn good one at that. The foundation of the band itself is straight up doom: heavy riffs, expressive vocals, and a powerful foundation...

Agrypnie is a black metal band from Germany, who formed in 2004.  Their latest album, “ Erg ” is their seventh full-length album; they have also released a split, an EP, and on compilation.  I am pissed at myself for never having heard this band before!  I am familiar with several of the bands the members have been involved with either through studio albums or in the live setting, such as Theotoxin , Benighted, and Harakiri For The Sky .  With that being said, “ Erg ” is an album that has a sound all its own. It’s rooted in black metal but there are post and progressive elements to it as well.  It’s underground, heavy, and abrasive when it needs to be but there is a certain subtle approach for the songs that mixes all these elements together into one massive sound.   Across it’s eight song, 54 minute run time it changes emotions and moods often, varying the sound across tempos, style, and structure.  The best part?  The songwriting is strong ...

Servant is a black metal band from Germany, who hit the scene with their first demo in 2021.  Their latest release, “ Death Devil Magick ,” is their third full-length album.  This is my first experience with the band so I can’t say how it compares to their previous two albums but I am enjoying the hell out of this one!  It’s fast, bleak, and made of pure energy like any good black metal should consist of.  However, they have a knack for engaging songs and a cunning use of melodic moments that I find to be refreshing and surprisingly catchy.  The production rides the line between clear and rough, very much a balance that helps make the songs that much more vibrant yet offers a much needed searing edge.  The individual instruments have quite the bit to them too, especially the drums which are crisp and clear but also powerfully robust.  The album begins with the intro track, “ Void .” As far as these types of short songs go, this one isn’t bad because it...

Torrefy is an extreme metal band from Canada, that formed in 2011.  Their latest album, “ Necronomisongs ” is their fourth full-length album.   This album is my first exposure to the band’s music but I am impressed with it!  Although very clearly heavy on the thrash elements, the band doesn’t stop there.  Black metal is definitely mixed in but it’s also just atmospheric enough for the songs to have a sense of vibrancy that most thrash bands just don’t have. They don’t always play fast as fuck either, they are more than capable, and willing, dial back on the rage and let the notes really sink in.   Instrumentally, the band mixes it up constantly so even while it thrashes and bashes, its incorporating different genres.  It’s all very abrasive and energetic but also cleverly composed so it never seems disjointed or aimless.  The bass can be heard very clearly, even when the band is at its most chaotic. I don’t always listen to bass in thrash but...

Maul is a death metal band from North Dakota, who formed in 2017.  Their latest release, “ In The Jaws of Bereavement ,” is their second full-length album.  Over the years they have also released three demos, three splits, three EPs, one compilation, and a live album. 2024 has been a truly amazing year for death metal.  I have reviewed many death metal albums that are just fantastic—the genre truly will never die.  As the year gets ever closer to its own ending, any death metal album releasing must be of the highest quality because the competition is staggering. Maul ’s “ In The Jaws of Bereavemen t,” is a rock solid release that has a lot going for it–and there is a lot going on with it.   First, it’s surprisingly catchy–every song has a moment that stuck in my head.  It might be a riff, a drum blast, a low end bass bomb, or a snarl but there is always something that makes me say, “Wow, I need to go back here again.”  Want some examples?  Ok...

Is extreme stoner doom a genre?  If DÖ ’s “ Unversum ” is what it will sound like, then yes it should definitely become a thing.  Of course, it is already out there but it has never been played like this before.  Not only is “ Unversum ” built upon a foundation of mountainous groove, it also covers so much ground that the band can’t really be pigeonholed.   Elements of black metal and sludge can be found among their brand of doom but the atmosphere is pure alien, spacey and psychedelic.  Imagine being sucked into a black hole but instead of your guts pulled out from your belly button like spaghetti wrapped around a fork then scattered into nothingness, you have your guts pulled out from your belly button like spaghetti wrapped around a fork then scattered into nothingness…to be  rebuilt into some sort of new consciousness inside a dimension that is turned upside down in every way possible.  It’s a maddening trip through the other side, one which s...

Corpsefucking Art is a death metal band from Rome, Italy who formed in 1996. “ Tomatized ” is their sixth full-length album; They have also released a demo, EP, Split and a live album. “ Tomatized ” is a fun, brutal blast of a death metal album. Wait, a minute…did I say fun?  I thought death metal was supposed to be horror drenched, abrasive and against the grain of good taste? It is and this album checks off all those boxes. But it's also an album that embraces the odd and doesn't concern itself at being taken too seriously, at least in terms of lyrical content But make no mistake: the musicians are deadly serious. Across the blistering 9 song 29 minute runtime, a cacophony of rhythm prowess and gutturals rip through the decayed atmosphere. The bass and drums standout just as much as the guitars. Massive swaths of pummeling grooves highlight the tumultuous songs.  Both the production and instrument tone are exactly how I like it: raw but still with enough clarity to allow th...