Burning Fields Forsaken...

The Slow Death - Siege (2021)

Hailing from Australia, this death/doom quintet has some common ground leading up to their current incarnation. Not only is this the fourth non-split album to come from The Slow Death, but three of the members are also in Horrisonous and Illimitable Dolor, with the two vocalists (one of whom also handles keyboards) having been plucked from Muskrat and Oracle of the Void. With the shared history between the main instrumental members, you'd expect to find this project approached with a strong sense of purpose, and just from glancing at the track times, that suspicion seems borne out. Totaling just over an hour, split between four songs, it's clear that the band has their ambitions set high,

Opening track “Tyranny” leads into its body with a lush intro, strings and keys drifting over each other in a dreamlike softness. Of course, it's not too long before a harder edge shows itself, as the bassist steps in with a staunch riff and gliding resonance, eventually joined by faster guitar and one of the vocalists (Mandy Andresen), who provides an earthy vibe not dissimilar from early Windhand or Jess And The Ancient Ones. That warm vibe is counter-balanced by the deeper growls from second vocalist Gamaliel, allowing the band to give a more human than usual manifestation of the death/doom contrast. Where Andresen's vocals might be put against chugging guitar, Gamaliel's might find some lightly plucked acoustic string backing, and so on. It's a clever and compelling approach to the music, but even beyond that clear hook, the songs are structured with care. Lengthy as they are, the numerous sections within the songs manage to avoid dragging. Instead, there's both emotion to savor in the moment, and the anticipation of the next shift, with the assorted movements flowing smoothly into one another.

The band also brings a pleasing variety of tonal and timbral qualities. Even within the opening track, the guitars shift their moody presences around from menacing, to meditative, to mournful, and more. While there's not the sort of overt time signature jumping and staggered rhythmic play that might make your mind jump to prog, there's certainly some progressive spirit animating the musicians' approach to the song-writing. Take “Famine”, for example, which alternates a rolling, almost Iron Maiden-ish rhythmic pull (down-shifted to doom gear, of course) with slower, more somber sections. Not a new trick for doom, but the band deploys it wonderfully, returning to the harder riff each time with increased ferocity, chewing right through the song's thirteen minutes. Even if you're not intent on picking apart the songcraft, it's easy to sink into their deep grooves and savor the work put into them. All together, it's an excellent and impressive piece of work. If you're in search of thoughtfully crafted doom, don't let this one go unheard.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Bell Witch, The Fateful Hour, Heavydeath, Ksyatriya, Ufomammut

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The Slow Death - Famine

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Slime, Scabs, and Soil...

Black Wound - To the Endless Depths (2021)

On the physical release of their debut EP, the Swedish trio of Black Wound serve up a heady mix of death and doom metal. Despite their young ages (with a drummer who's currently 17), the band has a solid lock on the style and substance, delivering music with enough dark potency to shame groups twice their age.

Opening track “Absence of Will” jumps right into their swampy stew of deep bass riffs, growling vocals, and clanging percussion, with abrupt time signature and tempo change-ups meshing into the grim gurgles and noisome grooves. “From Eternity and Beyond” continues the intense outpouring, with the clangor of the cymbals rolling against the buzzy fuzz and submerged howls. All the while, they keep up some hooky rhythms, pulling listeners along through the surface-level chaos and into the sunken structuring. It also features one of their more memorable breaks, with a desolate-sounding solo taking advantage of the speed and separation contrasts.

“Unending Labyrinth” carries on with more of a classic death metal groove, though it's one which lets the drummer really flex and showcase his chops. Meanwhile, the guitarist goes hard in on his riffing, with a circling progression that suits the track title. “Lurker of the Threshold / Dweller of the Depths” brings a touch of Lovecraft to the imagery, though it doesn't alter the flavor of the music itself in any drastic way. Some extensive tone sustain fits with the monstrous depths and distance ideas of the title (at over seven minutes, this is also the EP's longest excursion). Then it's on into closing track “Traitor”, which shifts back into a more focused grind to match the succinct title. It's one of the cleaner-sounding tunes on the EP, with another stand-out solo freed from the ambient din that marks most of the songs found here. All together, it's a damn impressive first work from any band in the death/doom cross-pollination, with heaviness and brutality overflowing. Here's to the arrival of Black Wound, with hopes that their next release arrives soon.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Coffin Lurker, Fleshpress, Heavydeath, Leechfeast, Primitive Man

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Black Wound - Unending Labyrinth (320 kbps)

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Seething Beneath Solemnity...

Tethra - Empire of the Void (2020)

With two albums and an EP to their catalog since forming in 2008, the Italian quintet of Tethra has made consistently strong impressions, with the quality of their individual performances and overall crafting resulting in great releases.

Now, with their third album, Tethra stride confidently through an hour's worth of their death/doom metal mixture, working overall atmosphere and individual moments to great effect. Generally speaking, the vocals and drums handle the aggression of the death metal side, while the guitar and bass provide the melancholic doom. But there are also times when the vocals slide into deep wells of longing and regret, or the guitar will burst into raging assault, for example. Throughout the album, the band continually experiments and keeps things from growing predictable or stale, which is a needful concern with both sides of their stylistic heritage.

Whether engaging in slow-paced mood studies (like the title track, for example) or cutting loose with high-action expressiveness, Tethra's work on this album shows the group always focused on making their music come to life. The inclusion of a David Bowie cover (“Space Oddity”) is a surprising touch, but the heavy tenderness the band brings to their treatment of it makes for a memorable twist on the original material. On the whole, it's another strong showing from Tethra, and one that sees them continuing to expand their horizons.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Apothecary, Esogenesi, Illimitable Dolor, Matalobos, Towards Atlantis Lights

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Tethra - Cold Blue Nebula (320 kbps)

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Running Ever Deeper...

Yawning Void - Streams Within (2019)

Following up on a couple of advance singles released last year, the Finnish group of Yawning Void have emerged with their first full album, and while it first popped up on a limited cassette run from Kuolema Records back in January, they've recently received a CD release from Weird Truth Productions, giving them some wider exposure.

The first of the album's five tracks (all of which run over seven minutes) is “Hearts Like Abyss”, which leads listeners into the band's black/death/doom cocktail with an enticing ear-worm of a lead riff. The vocalist (credited as K.T.K.) shows off a good rumbling growl and satisfyingly harsh roars, while the rest of the band brings in some tight support for that hooky riff, quickly digging down to that heavy reward. “Melaina Kholee” follows, broadening out the heaviness from the riff (though it does feature a solid one) to a more rounded song-writing approach. Things are kept slow and sloggy, but it moves with a deceptive swiftness for its length, and wraps its run up with surprising neatness for such a craggy piece.

“Ouroborean” takes central spot, contrasting the harsh vocals (taking overlay in the mix) against some almost gentle melodic highlighting, while the following “Kalmoranta” brings the harshness over to the instruments as well, with some organ-like keys providing the cleaner counter-point to the fuzzy feedback. Wrapping up with “Aequor Benthic Bodies”, Yawning Void push their way through a thick atmosphere of dread and regret, leaving an aftertaste of earnest and committed doom. Not too shabby for a first album, and considering the striking knack of the band for crafting memorable riffs, I can't wait to hear where they grow from here.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Deathbell, Heavydeath, Jupiterian, Major Kong, Shrine of the Serpent

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Yawning Void - Melaina Kholee (320 kbps)

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Tangles Of Beauty...

Esogenesi - Esogenesi (2019)

Releasing their debut album through the always-reliable Transcending Obscurity Records, the Italian group of Esogenesi pack a good forty minutes into the five songs of their self-titled LP, with their chosen combo of death metal and doom staggeringly well-blended this early in their career. “Abominio” is the first of the five, and with a sturdy central riff, the band is free to spin off into a number of elaborations and tangents without losing the core impetus. Some powerful break-downs and fiery bridges lend the song further flavorful variety, While the guitar and bass provide beautiful textures and dark atmosphere, the drummer may be the one who gets to shine the most in this opener.

From there, “Decadimento Astrale” picks up, with a harder riding beat leading the way to brooding but powerful progressions, with the development of a secondary riff providing the majority of the song's intensity. “...Oltregenesi...” follows, serving as a comparatively brief interlude at just under four minutes, with the guitarist brandishing his solo chops in a meditative instrumental piece with light backing from the other players. It's one of the album's most luminous moments, and transitions into the darker vibes of “Esilio Nell'Extramondo” extremely well. Rising from a slow, dirge-like groove into harsher and more strident form, the almost ten-minute run of this track is put to good use, with plenty of involved exploration taking the foundational riffs to new heights.

Lastly, “Incarnazione Della Conoscenza”, another ~10-minute piece, shows the band balancing the intensities of their two metal styles against each other, with a shift from slow passion to fast power shaping the song. It makes for a strong finish to the album, and all around, they demonstrate very impressive creativity and restraint for a band on their first release. Fans of this fusion, and of doom metal with some extra punch, do yourself a favor and check this crew out.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Dreamgrave, Heavydeath, HellLight, Illimitable Dolor, Murk Rider

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Esogenesi - Decadimento Astrale (320 kbps)

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Stirrings From The Underground...

Chasmdweller - Chasmdweller (2019)

On this, their first release, Chasmdweller offer up two lengthy tracks of death-flavored atmospheric doom, leading with “Plague Monument”, a slow-crushing roller with breaks into rampages sourced from the death metal side of its heritage. Boggy reverb and cave-like acoustics add to the dungeon vibe, as do the intentionally muffled vocals. Touches of electronic texturing further it even more, while also providing solid intro and outro coverage, and the murkiness of it all is spun together with a good ear for how to combine flavor with big riffs and healthy momentum.

The second half, “Clotting of the Sacred Artery”, pulls a synth intro as well, but develops into a paganistic tambourine-and-drones piece that shows the group's melodic side in ominous fashion. After about four minutes of that examination, the more traditional metal resurfaces, breaching with a driving drum pattern and bass riff to match. Following their ride, a sink back into hissing drones leads the way to the finish.

Though it's a quick trip through the mini-album, Chasmdweller certainly make a good showing in that stretch, and their blending of well-executed death doom with more uncommon elements shows not just a promising inclination towards experimentalism, but also a refreshingly out-there twist on a style that can often end up too predictable, even while staying enjoyable. That they don't blend the metal and dark electronic portions more directly into each other is a bit of a shame, but as an introductory release, it does a great job of piquing interest while letting its songs stand firm on their own. A very limited run of cassettes is up on the BandCamp page of the label, Static Void Records, or you can snag a digital copy for just $2. At the very least, swing by the page and give it a listen to hear some enjoyable oddness applied to the doom foundations.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Bell Witch, Descend Into Despair, Drift Into Black, Illimitable Dolor, Nonsun

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Chasmdweller - Plague Monument (320 kbps)

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First Burning Rites...

Flesh Temple - Fire, Promise... (2019)

Making a solo debut with this EP, though the band was allegedly formed six years ago, Flesh Temple offer up three tracks of death-styled doom with a blackened rough edge. Leading with “Conduit”, a slow-burn menacer of rising anger, the EP brings a good amount of atmospherics to the table, and mixes its stylistic cocktail with an impressively slick fusion of the elements. The doom generally has the dominant position, with bass-lines chugging away, while the death metal inclinations of the guitar tend to find their volume down-mixed for easier meshing, though it gets pushed back up for some solo action. The black metal flavoring mostly comes through in the raw buzz of the guitar's tone, though a few portions find the drums kicking up into manic gear and skewing the ratio harder in its favor.

“Tears” slips in with a colder vibe, playing up the blackened doom in mood and song-writing while relegating the death to the drums, and to be honest, that was the balance which worked best, at least to my tastes. It felt big in scope, and resentful, seeming more like reflection on an accepted suffering than an outlash. After a crescendo finish, it's on to the closing title track, with a groaning melody on guitar easing into melancholy focus as the song fleshes out. An atmospheric break towards the end provides a suitably somber intensification, and the fade-out fits as an implicit promise of more to come. Solid stuff, well worth checking out if you've been looking for some wintry tunes.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Alraune, The Sleer, Thergothon, Trees, WarHorse

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Flesh Temple - Tears (320 kbps)

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Refining Putrescent Urges...

Bloodsoaked Necrovoid - Demo II (2018)

While the personal details released by this band so far are few, the second demo from Bloodsoaked Necrovoid shows the three-piece Costa Rican group churning through a murky combination of doom metal's heaviness and atmosphere with death metal's rage and speed. Running just over a third of an hour, the demo features track titles as evocative as the band's own name, including “Flesh Divinations for the Ego-Plundered Psyche” and “Sempiternal Gravitation Pull of the Massive Cosmic Cauldron”, which gives the songs a more explicit sense of place than the gurgling vocals communicate. They fit right in with the swampy vibes and pleasingly dirty production, though, with the bass' expanding reverb pushing out in waves, the drums perforating the gloom, and guitar snarling up into surprisingly subtle riffs. It's not just a solid EP, or a good dark listen, it's also an extremely promising look at the band's potential. Keep this group on your radar, and pick yourself up a copy of this demo from Caligari Records before their stock is gone.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Heavydeath, Illimitable Dolor, Jupiterian, Lachrima Corphus Dissolvens, The Sleer

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Bloodsoaked Necrovoid - Substance Conceiled in Open Conduit Discharging Flesh-Penetrating Agony (320 kbps)

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Doom In Any Tongue...

Vanhävd - Låt köttet dö (2018)

With this half-hour EP, the Swedish group of Vanhävd roll out three tracks of powerful doom metal, bringing an edge of deathly deftness to direct the heavy momentum in interesting ways. There's a funereal morbidity lingering over the affair, with the fully slow portions feeling properly monolithic, and when the tempo picks up into hammering anxiety, the merging of the two energy extremes is handled incredibly well for a band's first release. It's certainly experimental, but at the same time, the band keeps a firm grounding in tunefulness and logical flow, keeping their swerves from coming too sharp for the good of the song. As this is supposed to be a 'sampling' of what their first full-length will hold, things are sounding extremely promising for Vanhävd, and fans of creative heavy music would do well to tune in as early as they can.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Battle Path, Earthling, Heavydeath, Mamaleek, White Darkness

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Vanhävd - Om den vulgära farsens nonsens

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Deep Death Doom...

Assumption - Absconditus (2018)

Though they've been releasing material since 2012, this year marks the first full LP to come from the Italian duo of Assumption, and with the three tracks contained in Absconditus, the band shows what they've been building in that time away from the public's ears.

Slow, heavy, and deliberate, “Liberation” opens the album to strains of guitar and tidal bass, drums providing an elephantine pulse. When the vocals arrive, they're in the form of a deep growl, delivered on that fine edge of recognizability where you can follow along if you want to focus, or just take them in on the emotive level as snarled aggression. The escalation is managed quite well through the rest of the song, and its completion comes with a transition into cold but gentle wind instruments (or at least keyboard emulations of such) as “Resurgence” begins.

Before too long, that intro section of the song gives way to harder tones, translating the form of the first track into faster speeds and hookier riffs. Again, it flows so well that it's almost a shock to hear the guitar and bass draw to a close. And as “Beholder of the Asteroid Oceans Part I & II” climbs into gear, the band's fondness for growing from an atmospheric start is once again demonstrated, this time with layered drones and slow-rippling synths. The move from there to metal action comes with a vengeance, as the duo turns out their hardest song of the LP, with spacy drifting peeking back up in the latter half. All together, it's a pretty damn impressive first album, and well worth the wait for fans of the group's previous two EPs.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Bell Witch, Disenchanter, Heavydeath, Jupiterian, early Opeth

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Interpreting Spilled Blood...

Dirt Forge - Soothsayer (2017)

Hailing from Denmark, Dirt Forge are a fresh new band making their debut with this album, packing a solid forty-five minutes of sludgy doom metal (including a three-part title track) into the spaces of Soothsayer. There's some upbeat aspects to the music, mainly in the hooky melodies that are threaded throughout most of the songs, but on the whole, the music comes out swinging low and hard, with the vocalist's growls nicely complementing the snarling guitar and head-bash drumming.

By the time the band hits their second track, “Fortress Burning”, they're well in swing with the beats and grooves, with the thrashing and chord-clawing fitting together in a nasty mash which hints at some death metal fondness in the members' tastes. It's not high-flown metal; there's few trips through complicated time signature switch-ups or multi-part arpeggio solos. But the meathead vibe works well with the brutal flavor of the music, and there's more than enough unexpected inclusions to make clear that there's intelligence behind the slamming. As the trek continues, lyrics of death and despair filling it out, there's a firm sense of the affection this band has for the music and its history, and their homage pays off with some tasty riffs and hellacious howling. Check it out if you've been hungering for some mean metal with a low-end emphasis, and keep an ear out for more to come from these Denmark doomsters.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Black Anvil, Noothgrush, Oak, The Scimitar, Wizard Smoke

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Dirt Forge - Fortress Burning (320 kbps)

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Stricken But Strong...

Illimitable Dolor - Illimitable Dolor (2017)

Making their debut with this album, Illimitable Dolor are an Australian band, spun out of The Slow Death to pay tribute to the death of their vocalist, Gregg Williamson. Furnishing a solid modern doom base with touches of death metal in the vocals and gleams of funeral doom in the pacing, emotion, and understated melodies (plus the organ-styled keyboards), ID have put together an album that's fully self-contained while also offering appreciable depth of content.

Though there's plenty of time given to the guttural vocals, the band builds atmosphere and follows riffs through numerous instrumental passages, allowing the somber mood to mature, seep in, and affect listeners' own emotions, assuming they're giving the music the attention it deserves. It's one that's tough to analyze, being suited more to simply being soaked in as an experience, but that's not to say that ID slump any on the song-writing front. As they and their instruments groan through the album's course, there's a broad slice of the metal spectrum explored along the way, made more impressive by how firmly each style is slotted into the music. It's an album well-suited to use for delving into your own depression, or for riding along with the band through theirs. That the songs can linger on in memory on the strength of their tunes is a plus, and hopefully the group will continue on to create something pursuing the melodies, without their grief holding onto them quite so tightly at that point.

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Bell Witch, Jupiterian, Sunwølf, Thergothon, WarHorse

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Illimitable Dolor - Comets Dies or Shines (320 kbps)

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Grown From The Unknown...

Lachrima Corphus Dissolvens - Passage of the Three Laments (2016)

Here we have the latest album from Lachrima Corphus Dissolvens, which in case you haven't heard of them before, is a band from Bolivia which has been producing metal of the death/doom variety since 2003.  With Passage of the Three Laments (apparently an expansion/follow-up to 2010's Bin of the Three Laments), the group shares over an hour's worth of material to life in morbid atmosphere, managing to bring together moments of dramatic theatrics (e.g., the sounds of weeping children, the rumble of thunder, and piano progressions built around letting one note ring out at a time) with more fierce outpourings (howls, guitar shredding, hard and heavy drumming) and have it feel like a natural union, unhurried and paced in ways that play to the strengths of each side.
From that, there's a strong sense of thought going into the album's assembly even before the actual song-writing began.  It feels like a story being told with care, the different moods of the songs acting as environmental set-pieces to further illustrate the narrative while providing a dark richness for the ears.  I feel like I'm fumbling more than slightly to put it into words, as the group achieves a cinematic quality which most bands don't even seem to consider tackling, and LCD do it so damn well.
On top of that, there's the range of styles that the group meshes together, keeping the morbid mood alive through neofolk-like acoustic guitar strumming, the numerous atmospheric interludes, the vibrant turns into unrestrained metal, the genuinely epic size and ambition matched by production to make things sound as though they're taking place in a cathedral, the woods, a tomb...  It's all of this and more.
Just fantastic, all told, though thankfully there's enough substance to the album that it doesn't compromise itself for instant accessibility.  Not one to put on in the background (at least not for the first few times you hear it), but instead, something that should be given concentration to appreciate how much work went into making the songs what they are.  Expect to see this one in the single-digits ranks of my 'year's best' list, and please, if you enjoy doom that can take things seriously, take the time to hear this one for yourself.  Also, here's hoping that Forcefield Records or some other excellent label picks this up for wider distribution and a vinyl pressing.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Abysmal Grief, Bell Witch, Candlemass, Jupiterian, early Opeth

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Lachrima Corphus Dissolvens - The Truth Is Out There (320 kbps)

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Burrowing Through Muscles...

The Conqueror Worm - Demo (2015)

Coming to us from the much-loved city of Milwaukee, Conqueror Worm and their three-track demo make a solid first impression by laying out their policies on hard riffs, heavy atmosphere, and a willingness to move beyond slow tempos.  Sharp guitar tones (put into some tasty shredding that's infrequent enough to keep its edge), a bass presence that can flex out into bigger bulk when needed, and drums which seem to be taking a few pointers from classic NY punk for the faster sections come together in a bash that grabs the attention with its unruliness, and holds it with strong song-writing.
Though it's a little premature to start talking about the band's style, as it will surely be altered over the course of writing more songs and putting together further releases, I feel pretty confident in saying that this group is one to keep an ear on.  They're already showing that they know how to play the Hell out of a song while keeping the essential melody going strong, and though 2/3rds of the songs on this EP are in the 4-minute range, the closer, "Oceans Rise", shows that they can just as easily work stuff of longer length without losing that powerful drive.  Good tunes, certainly worth your time to check out, and if you like what you hear, you can support the band by snagging a cassette copy, a T-shirt (featuring the demo's cover art), or a die-hard combo pack limited to 13 copies with the cassette sealed by blood into an exclusive wooden case.  Stylish, yeah?  You bet your ass it is.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    early Exciter, Heavydeath, The Munsens, Stoneburner, Wolf Blood

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The Conqueror Worm - Oceans Rise (320 kbps)

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Dread, Death & Doom...

The Maledict - Dread (2015)

With about an hour's worth of tunes to it, this debut album from Australian crew The Maledict is a powerful step forward from their 2013 demo Salvation in Yielding.  Running majestic-sized doom metal powered by death metal craft and chords, both old-school and modern, the group brings somber musings on mortality together with high-octane shreds, thunderous beats, and savage bass-lines, and makes it work damn well.
The track titles also do a solid job of reflecting the fusion of styles, with names like "Column of Voracious Souls", "Deadened Eyes to the Horizon", and "Tenebrae" (c'mon, gotta give bonus points to a metal song sharing a name with a Dario Argento film) providing grandeur to match the music.  There's also some sharp attention to album-crafting going on, opening up in long songs for the first few tracks to establish a heavy base, tossing in a few shorter ones here and there, and anchoring things with monster-sized jammers around the mid-point and end.
As the album continues, the atmosphere and power built up by the band only increases, with compositions that'll give you chills before spinning around into ravaging assaults.  The last track does a great job of pulling in stuff from previous tracks, adding in new spine-grabbing tricks, and culminating in a powerful blast, all of it without seeming bloated or forced.
The Maledict have done a great job of establishing their chops and inclinations with this album, and hopefully it'll get the wide attention it deserves.  Very highly recommended to metal fans of any stripe, consider this a retroactive 2015's Top 20 entry.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Earthling, Heavydeath, Necrophobic, Uroboros, Weapon

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The Maledict - Frozen (320 kbps)

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The Dead Don't Rest...

Heavydeath - Demo XII: The Storm (2015)

Making with yet another in their long line of publicly-available demos, Heavydeath continue developing their style while retaining rough edges to the tone and production.  Thick riffs and dominating reverb play to the band's usual strengths, while the drummer gets a few spots in which he comes out beating harder and faster than their average crushing crawl.  The band also plays with some shiver-inducing tones and distortion on the guitar, and distant-mixed vocals provide an otherworldly vibe in "One Eye", while "Journey to the Shores of Death" is a rich atmospheric slab of funereal aching.
Even if you're well-accustomed to the band's modus operandi by this point, it's worth checking in on them with this one to stay informed on what Heavydeath are trying out, and to get a sense of where they might land musically once their next album drops.  Very good stuff, as this band always seems to deliver.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Abstracter, Disenchanter, Hoof, The Hyle, Thergothon

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Heavydeath - One Eye (320 kbps)

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Doom With Surprises

Apotheosis - Bane (2015)

Coming back after a couple years away, Apotheosis follow up on their 2012 debut of Husk with this new album, conveniently split into two parts perfectly sized for a vinyl release (though as far as I know, so far it's digital-only).  Fingers crossed for them to keep up that four-letter-word habit for their next release, hopefully arriving before too long, and for this to get a release on the format for which it seems made.
"Side A" starts the band off on this doom voyage with something close to the usual fare, slow-paced bass and percussion establishing the atmosphere while the vocalist makes his gradual entrance.  But there's something of a death metal edge to the cleanliness of tone and riff-structuring, sharpening the doom aspect into a meaner-than-usual cut of the style.
That transformation shapes the first track with slow determination (it does give Apotheosis ~19 minutes of room in which to show their chops), and following along as they carve and twist the song into various forms can be a rewarding experience if you're willing to give it sufficient attention.  "Side B" takes a slightly mellower but similar route, holding back on its violent capacities until the crescendos erupt, and the two halves complement each other in a very satisfying way.  And did I mention that all of this is being turned out by a two-man operation?
Aside from providing some excellent grooves equally comfortable with the slothier side of doom and its meaner territory, the band comes off as an inventive crew which put some serious thought into their work.  Any doom-heads out there who might need fast-acting gratification, this one's probably not for you.  Those who like hearing a doom-based metal band demonstrate their skill at incorporating extra style elements, get on this.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Behold! The Monolith, Coffin Torture, Corpse Light, Heavydeath, Stoneburner

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Apotheosis - Bane Side B (320 kbps)

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From Ebon Flames...

Heavydeath - Dark Phoenix Rising (2015)

Heavydeath's latest offering (as of this review's writing, at least; give 'em another two months and they'll probably have another one out) is Dark Phoenix Rising, a ~40-minute pack of five songs done in Heavydeath's heavy & deathly style.  Strong riffs, big recording acoustics, powerful bass presence, and bone-thumping drums are the focus here, though there's also some sparingly-used deep growls worked in to good effect.  The band takes the music seriously while still finding some fun with surprisingly psych-y stretchings of the riffs, and you should be prepared for those lengthy rides, as the first two songs each take ten minutes to get their point across, building up walls of sound that will push your pulse higher before you realize it.
If you're in the mood for it, that sustained tone-soaking can be a damn nice dip.  Although they do get into it with "The Ember of the End", if you want something with the persistent speed of thrash or typical death metal to it, you'll want to look elsewhere.  Assuming you are down with high aggression at slow speeds, Heavydeath have you thoroughly covered, and while the title track, doubling as the closer, is only four minutes (a real quickie after everything else), it blends the elements of the other songs together in an effective coda of hot-blooded doom.  Another very solid release from Heavydeath, the last of the tape run inventory from Caligari Records is quickly headed towards unavailable, so jump on it if you need a physical copy, or snag a digital one from HD's BandCamp.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Forgotten Tomb, Gallileous, The Munsens, Norska, Velvet Cacoon

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Heavydeath - From The Ashes (320 kbps)

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Staves And Suffering...

Dimaension X - Plagues Of Ægyptus (2015)

To call this album atmospheric would be an understatement.  Built on the ten Biblical plagues of Egypt as a conceptual base, the hour-long invocation layers elements of tribal music, some death metal, drone, and more over the doom metal foundation, crafting something distinctive and effective at causing goosebumps to crawl over your skin.  Lice, frogs, flies, and all the rest of the curses are given their dues with escalating pressure and tension, driven by recitations from the corresponding passages.  The biggest problem in the album is that "Death of the Firstborn" finishes without much fanfare or crescendo, making it underwhelming after the enjoyable journey through the preceding songs.  That aside, there's a lot of good work at play in the album, and its release under Creative Commons might garner forgiveness from some listeners.  So if you've been looking for some real 'wrath of God' type music lately, go on and give this a try.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Ak'chamel, Demon Hunter, Flight of the Seraphim, Isis, Samael

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Dimaension X - Darkness (320 kbps)

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In the Monolith's Shadow

Doomed ~ Wrath Monolith (2015)

 Doomed have been around a while now, spreading their version of atmospheric death doom metal. This latest effort "Wrath Monolith" isn't a huge departure from the sound they've built their reputation on this far. The only real noticeable change is perhaps a slight increase in the intensity of certain parts. Seemingly relying on the brutal side of the music more than the atmospheric aspect that they've used so well in the past. This change in approach doesn't effect the album though, it's still good ole' Doomed that we've all come to know over the years. Being a death doom album, it should be no surprise that most of the songs clock in somewhere around the ten minute mark. My standout was "Our Ruin Silhouettes", featuring massive guitar parts that drive everything forward with brutal efficiency, with the deep, growling vocals laid perfectly on top. One of the shorter tracks, but still coming in at over six minutes, it seems to fly by from start to finish. Part of that is because of the that change of intensity I mentioned early, making the most out of an aggressive tempo and sound instead of relying on atmosphere to get their points across. As you move through the album, and down the list of guest vocalists, you get to "Looking Back" which is probably the only use of clean, melodic vocals on the whole album. But there's still plenty of gnarly, guttural vocals to go around on it also. With all of that going on, it's not wonder people are loving the new album. You can pick up a copy through Solitude Productions or on their bandcamp page and see for yourself.
~Skip

 For Fans Of; (early)Katatonia, October Tide, Paradise Lost

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