Category: news
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TERRA LIGHTFOOT
Terra Lightfoot, from Ontario, Canada, hits my ear as a cross between Melissa Etheridge and Heart. -
DMF’s Top Albums of the 1st Quarter 2018: Sludge Stew & Doom Brew for Easter
Just in time for Easter, we have compiled a list including the best Doom Metal, Sludge and Stoner releases of the first quarter 2018. If you stumble over that blue, weird looking bunny in the meadow just give a high five and let him hide those leaden eggs of doom and gloom for your enjoyment. Heavy holidays!MOURNFUL CONGREGATION“The Incubus of Karma”Osmose Productions20 Buck SpinWeird Truth Productions
“Founded in 1993, MOURNFUL CONGREGATION have become one of the most influential funeral doom metal bands on the planet. Being Australia’s slowest export, they have constantly been evolving their impressive style of crawling heaviness starting with the debut ‘Tears From A Grieving Heart’ (1999), followed by crushing ‘The Monad Of Creation’ (2005), glacial ‘The June Frost’ (2009) and majestic ‘The Book Of Kings’ (2011). Another seven years later, MOURNFUL CONGREGATION are back with ‘The Incubus Of Karma’ marking their bleakest and most haunting opus so far. Delivers grandiosely played, two-voiced guitar melodies that take you on a mesmerizing trip through mental darkness and infinite suffering.”HOODED MENACE
More infos here: Homepage, Label
“Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed”
Season Of Mist
“On their fifth album, ‘Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed’, HOODED MENACE from Finland perfectly interweave slowly crushing, hymnal doom with 90s style technical death metal. Partially feels like My Dying Bride recruited Death-mastermind Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P.) to make the guitars cry and shred!”
More infos here: Homepage, Label
EAGLE TWIN
“The Thundering Heard
(Songs of Hoof and Horn)”
Southern Lord Recordings
“Six years after ‘The Feather Tipped The Serpent’s Scale’, Salt Lake City’s extreme music duo EAGLE TWIN is back with the third full-length album. ‘The Thundering Heard’ continues their unique and relentless style combining groovy sludge and monolithic doom riffage with stomach kneading drones and ear bleeding distortion. Serves four outstanding tracks that leave you sonically crushed and trampled by thousands of hoofs!”
More infos here: Homepage, Label
APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE“From Gold To Ash”Cruz Del Sur Music
“At the very latest since their stunning predecessor ‘Of Woe And Wounds’ (2014) and a jaw dropping show at the Hammer Of Doom festival, Indiana’s APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE belong to the top bands of the traditional doom metal genre. Their actual album is called ‘From Gold To Ash’ serving dramatically rolling hymns of gloom and sorrow adorned with Chuck Brown’s captivating vocals and razor sharp guitar leads. Favorite tracks: ‘Keeping The Lighthouse’ and ‘My Heart Is Leaving Here’!”
More infos here: Homepage, LabelANGUISH
“Magna Est Vis Suignah”
High Roller Records
“ANGUISH are back with the third full-length, ‘Magna Est Vis Suignah’, which is showing the Swedes reformed as a four-piece and having found back to their stylistic roots to create a masterpiece of death/doom metal. Comes with overwhelmingly heavy, mournful guitar riffs and weeping solos that tell about death and the life after.”
More infos here: Homepage, Label
SINISTRO
“Sangue Cássia”
Season Of Mist
“Portugal’s SINISTRO released ‘Sangue Cássia’ continuing the sonic path paved with outstanding predecessor ‘Semente’ to evolve an even darker and heavier album that is bursting with dense atmosphere and compositional complexity. Combines enthralling doom with jazz-tinged, dreamy ambience. The extraordinary, haunting vocal style of Patrícia Andrade and vast passages reminiscent of a full string orchestra are making the album a gloomy, operatic sound experience.”
More infos here: Homepage, Label
BENEATH OBLIVION“The Wayward and the Lost”Weird Truth Productions
“‘The Wayward and the Lost’ is the third album by Ohio’s BENEATH OBLIVION, who grandiosely combine utterly crawling, sorrowful funeral and death doom metal with sludge style nihilism in both the immanent melodiosity of the full album and the abysmally gurgling and desperately crying twin vocals. Breathtakingly beautiful and pulping!”
More infos here: Homepage, Label
CRUTHU“The Angle Of Eternity”The Church Within Records
“Michigan-based CRUTHU play traditional doom metal on ‘The Angel of Eternity’, which is filled to the brim with Seventies prog and proto metal passages to give you the full dose of slowly paving lo-fi heaviness reminiscent of Sir Lord Baltimore, early Pagan Altar or Trouble and the like. Comes with stunningly catchy NWOBH style vocals by Ryan Evans!”
More infos here: Homepage, LabelBLACK LABEL SOCIETY
“Grimmest Hits”
Spinefarm Records
“BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have their ‘Grimmest Hits’ out marking the tenth studio album of this southern metal act around Ozzy-guitarist Zakk Wylde. It is not as grim as the title suggests but fishing in the doomiest waters of the band’s album history. Serves typical Zakk-style guitars shooting one ultra-catchy riff and lead after another. It’s the immanent blues that makes me swing to the slow groove of ‘Grimmest Hits’. Recalls BLS’ grand debut full-length, ‘Sonic Brew’, released in 1999.”
BELDAM
“Pasung”
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions
“On ‘Pasung’, BELDAM set the Indonesian practice of shackling and imprisoning people that suffer from schizophrenia in music. Serves disturbing sludge spreading from possessed fury to massively crushing, almost still-standing doom riffage and ear bleeding distortion. It’s a dissonant trip through the suffering and misinterpretation of the mentally ill.”
More infos: Homepage, Label
LEECHFEAST“Neon Crosses”Dry Cough RecordsRope Or Guillotine
“Slovenia’s LEECHFEAST pull Grief-style sludge through hot, cancerous tarmac on ‘Neon Crosses’, which is their most misanthropic and sonically devastating release so far – painfully slow and ultra-heavy at the same time!”
More infos here: Homepage, Label
DAUTHA“Brethren of the Black Soil”Ván Records
“DAUTHA from Sweden recruits of actual Wardenclyffe members including Ola Blomkvist, who already was responsible for all lyrical agony and the guitars in deceased doom metal grandmasters Grifegård. After the respected ‘Den Förste’ demo (2016), DAUTHA have their debut full-length, Brethren of the Black Soil, out packing Europe’s Medieval history in six psalms full of haunting doom riffs, stirring melodies and epic choral singing.“
More infos here: Homepage, Label
SABEL“Re-Generation”Oak Island Records
“Imagine Sleep’s ‘Jerusalem’ stirred well with Electric Wizard’s ‘Dopethrone’ and Atomic Rooster style blues and hard rock – or Monolord dancing with Kadavar – to get an idea about SABEL’s amazing debut album called ‘Re-Generation’. Serves raw, Sabbathian doom and driving, hips shaking proto-stoner with maximum fuzz on the howling guitars as well as reverberating, weed tanned vocals. Swedish quality!”
GODTHRYMM“A Grand Reclamation”Transcending Records
“UK’s GODTHRYMM recruits of current and former members of My Dying Bride, Vallenfyre, Malediction and Anathema, who already joined forces in Solstice. All of these influences culminate on the band’s four-track debut EP, ‘A Grand Reclamation’, rolling out leaden twin guitars and lamenting melodies typical for early 90s doom metal, interfused with 80s style heaviness and epic power vocals.”
THRONELESS“Cycles”Black Bow Records
“THRONELESS serve buzzing and droning doom metal on ‘Cycles’ reminiscent of Conan’s early destruction, but with the difference that these Swedes keep crawling stoically from the very first to the final tone. Comes with stoned acoustics in between the squelching riffage.”
SWAMP CORPSE“Bone Mill”Black Bow Records
“Hamburg-based SWAMP CORPSE blow ultra-brutal, drone-like oscillating sludge/death doom metal off the speakers somehow reminiscent of Autopsy’s ‘Acts of the Unspeakable’. But this ‘Bone Mill’ is crushing radically and kicking asses without using any sort of vintage gear – a bludgeoning feast of crawling destruction and distortion! For fans of extrem doom metal à la Burning Witch, Khanate and Grief!”
DDENT“Toro”self-release
“DDENT is the only band in the wide doom and post rock genre I would use the term progressive for. Coming from Paris, this instrumental four-piece takes any heavy or acoustic guitar riff to evolve a multidimensional, orchestral soundtrack that is brimming with dramatic, gently drifting melodies and floating synths; even the industrial rhythms fit perfectly in the songs’ blue mood. Actual album ‘Toro’ serves seven acts, which sound like performed in a renowned opera house. Once more, DDENT prove their exceptional writing skills offering a thrilling, jaw-dropping masterpiece of dreamy melancholic musical art – the Pink Floyd of doom!”More infos here: Homepage
SOLDAT HANS“Es taut”Wolves And Vibrancy Records
“SOLDAT HANS (German for: Soldier called Hans) from Switzerland combine utterly dark, amazingly catchy Bohren & Der Club Of Gore style jazz – including trombones, melotron and violins – with pointed postrock guitars, bluesy slides and towering sludge riffage that goes along the stoically crawling tempo just like the hauntingly beautiful and desperately screamed vocals. ‘Es taut’ (It melts) is a didactic play in the matter of Jazz Doom Metal!”
SPACESLUG“Mountains & Reminiscence”Oak Island Records
“Digitally released in 2017, SPACESLUG’s ‘Mountains & Reminiscence’ is finally pressed in vinyl archiving five original tracks plus a bonus jam session for eternity. Coming from Wrocław, SPACESLUG represents Poland’s flourishing stoner/doom underground scene delivering top quality music that spreads from billowing psychedelia over blues-infested, Sabbath worshipping riffage to interstellar space rock. ‘Mountains & Reminiscences’ is like the echo of the Big Bang – once explored its sonic roots are clearly retraceable to the stoned 60s and fuzzy 70s, lulling you gently with tons of wah-effects on the guitars and catchy sing along la-las as a reverberating result of pointedly set heavy rocking impacts.”
NEST“Metempsychosis”Sludgelord Records
“NEST from Lexington Kentucky have packed the pain of Metempsychosis – the transmigration of the soul after death from a human or animal to some other human or animal – in torturous, nihilistically grinding doom, which is dripping with feedback and distortion channeling NEST’s ‘visceral contempt with a barrage of sludge soaked riffs accompanied by harsh, evocative vocalizations that gives Metempsychosis (…) all the makings of a memorable foray into misanthropy’.”
Find more noteworthy releases of early 2018 alphabetically ordered here:
SATIVA ROOT “Oneirod” – HomeSEVEN SERPENTS “Garden of Eyes” EP – HomeSUNNATA “Outlands” – HomeTHAL “Reach for the Dragon’s Eye” – Home
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UK’s doom metal band AGE OF TAURUS are ready to release their brand new second album, The Colony Slain, via Rise Above Records on May 11th! Presenting Leo Smee (With The Dead, ex-Cathedral) playing bass guitar in the renewed line-up! #announcement #doommetalfront
AGE OF TAURUS“The Colony Slain”Rise Above Records“Many centuries ago, when the world was slightly younger and a little less ravaged by time’s unrelenting grasp, there existed a sprawling empire of unrivalled power. Yet, whilst its might and influence stretched across great oceans and through vast mountain ranges, its immense dominion was born not out of prosperity and industry, but from rampant fear and blind obedience…”
So begins the arcane tale behind The Colony Slain, the second full-length album from doom metal diehards Age Of Taurus. Nearly five years on from the release of acclaimed debut Desperate Souls Of Tortured Times, singer/guitarist and conceptual mastermind Toby W. Wright is ready to unveil a new, ultra-dramatic chapter in the turbulent saga of the Taurean Empire. Showcasing a new line-up featuring new bassist Leo Smee (With The Dead/ex-Cathedral) alongside Wright, drummer Darius Claydon and most recent recruit, guitarist Daniel Knight, The Colony Slain is the sound of a great band reborn in heavy metal glory.“This record has probably been constructed a little differently this time around,” Toby explains. “Leo, in particular, has brought a huge amount of expertise where arrangements are concerned, as well as some next-level musicianship. His style of playing alone has allowed us to expand what we were doing before and to experiment a lot more with ideas that we maybe hadn’t considered. He’s also helped us to start introducing synths into the material, which is something I can see evolving further down the line. Daniel actually joined during the recording process but, again, his style of playing has been a fresh injection into our sound.”Formed in 2009, Age Of Taurus have already established themselves as a doggedly unique force within the modern world of doom. Ever the stubborn mavericks, they have once again conjured a collection of songs that defy lazy notions of doom metal as a one-dimensional creative cul-de-sac. Still rooted in the rumbling sonic bedrock of Trouble, Candlemass and Sabbath but increasingly steeped in the gritty swagger of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and in thrall to numerous left-field, progressive ideas, songs like fiery opener Taken To The Tower and the rampaging In Dream We Die eschew the languorous repetition of much modern doom in favour of subtly elaborate song structures that proudly salute the spirit of old school heavy metal. With nods to everything from radio-friendly hard rock to gritty crossover thrash, The Colony Slain is a flat-out celebration of the metal code.“I guess we’ll always fit the doom metal tag in some sense but we’ve always taken influence from a lot of different places and we were never really a slow doom metal band,” Toby notes. “Much of Trouble’s material is faster, or at least mid-paced, and it’s their sound that I feel best represents doom metal. This new album will almost certainly cement some of that sentiment, while also taking us away into different pastures. We’ve even created our own ‘Great Gig In The Sky’ moment, with some fantastic female guest vocals… Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, it ain’t! Musically we’ve really cast off the shackles this time.”
“The Colony Slain” line-up:Toby W. Wright – vocals, guitarsLeo Smee – bassDarius Claydon – drumsDaniel Knight – guitarsLyrically, too, The Colony Slain represents a bold forward step, as Toby’s tale of a malevolent empires, bloody uprisings and fearless heroes unfolds across 47 minutes of imperious bombast. Citing inspirations as diverse as prog gods Genesis, fantasy author Terry Pratchett and director John Carpenter’s The Thing, the frontman’s immersive and obsessive approach to new Age Of Taurus music has led to an album with great depth and substance to back up the songs’ muscular bravado.As with their debut, The Colony Slain was pieced together in collaboration with esteemed studio guru Jaime ‘Gomez’ Arellano at his Orgone Mk. 2 Studio in Bedfordshire, with vocals recorded at Supervillain HQ in Wright’s hometown of Oslo, Norway, with Yusaf Parvez (Dødheimsgard) at the controls. The result is towering, riff-driven mini-epics like Beyond The Westward Path and To Seal A Mountain: refined but unstoppable bursts of authentic epic doom, delivered with phenomenal sonic heft and yet always sounding thrillingly raw, live and untamed.“We chose Gomez, as we knew his new set-up was going to be killer and we shared the mindset that we could progress together,” Wright recalls. “Ultimately we wanted to make a heavy metal record that focused on weight of the songs, rather than just a very thick, bottom-heavy sound. Yusaf is a good friend and an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist and it was a pleasure to work with him, too. He takes wild leaps of faith when making music and he encouraged me to try everything that came into my head during the session.”Rejuvenated and refocused, Age Of Taurus have returned from the wilderness bearing the most potent of gifts. Living, breathing, thunderous proof of doom’s timeless allure and the inspirational power of the riff, The Colony Slain brings past, present and future together in a riot of heartfelt heaviness and, as the story says, unrivalled power. A new age is dawning and this story never ends…“Hopefully this album will strike a chord with those that are already familiar with Age of Taurus and, if we’re lucky, it’ll allow us to reach those that had maybe written us off as ‘just another doom metal band!’” Wright laughs. “This is a hard rock/heavy metal record and, in all honesty, some of the purists may struggle with parts of it but we’re very proud of it. With this record, I’d say that we’ve gained a greater understanding of what we want to achieve as a band.”More Infos at: -
YOB to release their brand new album, "Our Raw Heart", via Relapse Records on June 8th! #announcement #doommetalfront
Photo credit: Orion Landau
YOB, the Oregon-based trio will release “Our Raw Heart”, the band’s eighth full-length album and Relapse Records’ debut, on June 8th.
“We’re very excited to share this new music”, says singer and guitar player Mike Scheidt. “We gave it everything we have. Going from an uncertain future in the beginning of 2017, to writing and then recording a new album at the end of it, it was quite a year. We’re very grateful. We’re looking forward to hitting the road again and celebrating decibels and good cheer with friends worldwide. Can’t wait.”
“Our Raw Heart” was co-produced by the band and Billy Barnett at Gung Ho Studio in Eugene, Ore., with mastering handled by Heba Kadry (The Mars Volta, Diamanda Galas, Slowdive).
YOB’s most recent release, “Clearing the Path to Ascend”, was one of 2014’s most heralded releases, with Rolling Stone saying the music “makes perfect bedfellows of volume and beauty, pain and transcendence”.
YOB recently reissued their fifth full-length album, “The Great Cessation”, in December via Relapse. That album can be streamed via all digital retail outlets HERE and ordered via Relapse.com HERE.
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WEEDEATER announce European shows starting with a unique special "God Luck and Good Speed" show at Roadburn Festival on April 19th #tourdates #doommetalfront
Provided that Sheb has no further accidents with his favourite shotgun, Southern smoked WEEDEATER will continue to inhale deeply in ten more European countries including the UK.WEEDEATER EU Tour Dates:19 Apr 18 Tilburg (NL) Roadburn Festival (Special Show)20 Apr 18 Göteborg (SE) Truckstop Alaska21 Apr 18 København (DK) Stengade22 Apr 18 Katowice (PL) Mega Club23 Apr 18 Budapest (HU) Robot24 Apr 18 Wien (AT) Arena25 Apr 18 München (DE) Backstage26 Apr 18 Salzburg (AT) Rockhouse27 Apr 18 Milano (IT) Kraken28 Apr 18 Pescara (IT) Tube Cult Fest30 Apr 18 Lyon (FR) Le Farmer01 May 18 Nantes (FR) Le Ferrailleur02 May 18 Köln (DE) Jungle03 May 18 Leipzig (DE) Werk 204 May 18 Berlin (DE) Desertfest05 May 18 London (UK) Desertfest06 May 18 London (UK) Desertfest07 May 18 Leeds (UK) Brudenell Social Club08 May 18 Cardiff (UK) Clwb Ifor Bach09 May 18 Manchester (UK) Rebellion10 May 18 Glasgow (UK) The Audio11 May 18 Bristol (UK) Thekla12 May 18 Leffinge (BE) De Zwerver13 May 18 Hannover (DE) Faust
WEEDEATER will steam across Europe in support of their last smoking hot full-length, ‘Goliathan’ (2015).
Line-up:
“Dixie” Dave Collins – bass, vocalsDave “Shep” Shepherd – guitar, vocalsTravis “T-Boogie” Owen – drums -
CHRCH to release "Light Will Consume Us All" on April 27th via Neurot Recordings – on tour in March and with Fister in May! #announcement #tourdates #doommetalfront
Standing at a crossroads of light and dark, Chrch create epic songs of great depth, layering intricate melodies, thunderous rhythms, gargantuan riffs, and a powerful, supernatural vocal presence. There is no image or gimmick to uphold, only the humble glorification of their fundamental musical elements. Chrch perform with a striking purity and honesty, their long-form songs build and deconstruct as the band reach sonic highs, and at times, beautiful plateaus.
Their second full length, Light Will Consume Us All, carries with it the same quality of songwriting that caught the attention of fans worldwide on their debut, Unanswered Hymns (Battleground Records, 2015). Building upon this foundation, Light Will Consume Us All also continues Chrch’s narrative, traversing life’s journey of loss, reclamation and, ultimately, finding hope within the darkness.Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Patrick Hills (King Woman, Bog Oak, VRTRA) at Earthtone Studios in Rocklin, California, the album exudes a warm, organic tone, with a sound influenced by traditional doom, psych rock, drone, and ambient music. Chrch summon the listener to inhabit their sonic space, allowing enough room for its transmutation into anything one desires of it.
Chrch live dates:08/03/2018 Cooper’s Ale Works – Nevada City, CA w/ Khemmis,11/03/2018 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA w/ Wolves In The Throne Room, Abyssal24/03/2018 The Golden Bull – Oakland, CA30/03/2018 Blue Lamp – Sacramento, CA w/ Usnea, Un, Occlith31/03/2018 Days Of The Loud @ Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor – Reno, NVw/ Fister:02/05/2018 Bar Loose – Helsinki, FI03/05/2018 SubScene – Oslo, NO04/05/2018 Northern Discomfort – Copenhagen, DK06/05/2018 Desert Fest – London, UK07/05/2018 Fuel – Cardiff, UK08/05/2018 Nice N Sleazy – Glasgow, UK09/05/2018 Head Of Steam – Newcastle, UK10/05/2018 Temple Of Boom – Leeds, UK11/05/2018 Magasin4 – Brussels, BE15/06/2018 Austin Terror Fest – Austin, TX w/ Exhorder, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Come to Grief, Buzzov*en, more
Light Will Consume Us All Track Listing:1. Infinite Return2. Portals3. Aether
Chrch are:Eva Rose – vocalsChris Lemos – guitar, vocalsBen Cathcart – bassAdam Jennings – drumsKarl Cordtz – guitar, vocals
Chrch’s “Light Will Consume Us All” shall be released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats via Neurot Recordings April the 27th with preorders to be announced shortly. -
THE FINE TUNING BASEMENT TAPES, VOL. 2
This Playlist consists of songs I’ve intended to write about for a while but for whatever reason have yet to make it out of my notebook. -
EAGLE TWIN Announce Third Album, "The Thundering Heard (Songs Of Hoof And Horn)", Which Is To Be Released Via Southern Lord Records On 30th Of March #news #doommetalfront
Salt Lake City-based duo Eagle Twin will release their long-awaited third album, “The Thundering Heard (Songs Of Hoof And Horn)” on March 30th via Southern Lord.Eagle Twin’s commanding sound delivers like a tectonic force, where doom and blues collide. Gentry Densley’s dominating low-end vocal tone is like an instrument in itself, rumbling alongside towering riffs, and Tyler Smith’s powerful rhythmic propulsion. It is a compelling combination, particularly when you add melodious bluesy romp to the equation.Equally prevailing are the stories that shape Eagle Twin’s musical output, drawing upon folklore, and also strongly informed by recent happenings in the world. Observing our relationship to nature, and the band’s own surroundings in the dead salt seas of Utah are themes that feature frequently across their musical canon. “The Thundering Heard” continues where the previous album, “The Feather Tipped The Serpent’s Scale” ended. In the band’s own words…“As the great snake grew giant fractal antlers of snakes and turned in upon itself creating a new world, the mountains rise, and the antlers stab through like trees across the landscape. The record begins with the hoofed and horned animals of our world running from mountains and forests on fire. Eerily harkening to the recent events in California and the massive devastation by fire across the land.”
photo credit: Russel Albert Daniels – www.russeldaniels.com
The Thundering Heard (Songs Of Hoof And Horn) Track Listing:1. Quanah Un Rama2. Elk Wolfv Hymn3. Heavy Hoof4. Antlers Of LightningSouthern Lord will release “The Thundering Heard” on LP, CD, and digital formats on March 30th. -
SOMETHING OLD, NEW, BORROWED AND BLUE
This Old, New, Borrowed and Blue set features Patto, Deer Tick, Dave Matthews Band (with Warren Haynes), and Elise Davis. -
DOOM METAL FRONT’s TOP SEVENTY OF 2017: Traditional Gloom & Epic Grace, Death & Funeral Pyre, Sludge Nihilism & Amplifier Worship, Female Fronted Sorrow & Destruction, Post-apocalyptic Agony, With Stoned Grooves Into Blues Space, Sonic Lave From The Abyss Of Bandcamp #charts #doommetalfront
Doom year 2017 is finished! – To destillate something like a best-of-list means countless hours of listening to all noteworthy albums of the whole past year again. Then happens that you can’t switch to the next one, because a haunting ear worm is making you press the re-play button again and again. Realizing that the first list has grown to the sky, you start thinking about splitting it into categories.Finally, there are seven top-ten-lists losely representing the sub-genres of doom starting with the traditional and more epic way of celebrating riff-based agony using clean and high register vocals. 2017 was a blast serving masterpieces of the category “Traditional Gloom & Epic Grace”.“Of Death & Funeral Pyre” includes this year’s best doom using death-metallic growls and gurgling vocals as well as slowest tempos to spread unbearable sorrow and despair.For all lovers of this sort of sonic destruction it is unnecessary to explain what the category “Sludge Nihilism & Amplifier Worship” means. For the newcomers in the genre: Imagine your ears bleed from still standing guitar distortion, feel your brain melt from boundless anger of the disgustedly disgorged vocals and your stomach turning in waves of droning bass oscillation. Common people run and vomit, we smile and beg for more.Maybe I make you sigh and roll eyes with the follow-up category, “Female Fronted Sorrow & Destruction”, as it has been hip to push acts with sweet girls at vocals. The compiled list incorporates bands, which are pure doom and heavy as hell – not that wanna-be heavy rocking retro-doodling of the last years. Check them out and receive top quality, heart-rending sorrow and crushing bleakness of all doom styles featuring jaw dropping woman power as well as bulldozing guitar riffage.There are bands that combine the heaviness of doom with post-rocking, atmospheric tunes in a very catchy and destructive way. Fans of slowly rolling music in the vein of Neurosis will love to dive in “Post-apocalyptic Agony”.“With Stoned Grooves Into Blues Space” is a category showcasing 2017’s best albums that come along with a certain stoner rock groove in the doom arrangements and blues-driven guitar play that evolves and spreads like psychedelia, shooting you into open space or back in time to the roots of crawling heavy music.Finally, there are releases put together in the category “Sonic Lava From The Abyss Of Bandcamp”, which are handpicked by myself and didn’t find its way to the Doom Metal Front lines via promotional agencies or record labels – these are mainly unsigned bands of the underground, growing or underrated gems of the heaviest genre of the universe.Enjoy the doom and keep it slow! Tear down all physical and mental borders in a world that has turned mad led by a growing number of insane tyrants – take care! And be ready for new slow and low tuned music from all over the planet in 2018!Yours respectfully, Sven Mihlan (chief ed.)
TRADITIONAL GLOOM& EPIC GRACE
1. MONOLORD “Rust”, RidingEasy Records
“‘Rust’ shows MONOLORD at their musical peak shooting one ace played, tectonically shifting fuzz riff reminiscent of a down-tuned buzzsaw after another, adding addictive hooks and heart-rending leads as well as maximum sorrowful melodiosity. MONOLORD are bursting with tantric repetition, infinite sonic reverberation and contagiously dynamic sloth in every of the six tracks.”Read more & listen HERE!2. PALLBEARER “Heartless”, Nuclear Blast Records
“PALLBEARER on top of their still young career – as far as you accept these US-Americans to be one of the most haunting epic doom metal bands having seen the light of day in the early 21st century. The album is knocking me over, flattening the plaintive body, rolling over again and again, and feeding graceful Lilies that sproud with desperately crying, heavy pounding as well as gently touching guitar riffs. (…) PALLBEARER have not just risen to fill the cleft godly Warning left once, they are lifting an emotional monolith higher than Mount Everest with the tectonical doom power of ‘Heartless’.”Read more & listen HERE!3. CURSE THE SON “Isolator”, Ripple Music
“There has possibly never been as much doom, cosily rolling heaviness and roots blues as well as heart’n’soul infesting vocals as on ‘Isolator’. CURSE THE SON deliver gigantic titanosaurus doom metal!”Read more & listen HERE!4. BEASTMAKER “Inside The Skull”, Rise Above Records
“BEASTMAKER’s new album is satiating the appetite for buzzing garage doom triggered with the yet haunting debut ‘Lusus Naturae’. Now, this Fresno-based threesome is crawling deep ‘Inside The Skull’ to burst brains with raw riff power, grinding melodies and obsessing clean vocals. Addictive and heavy!”Read more & listen HERE!5. THE OBSESSED “Sacred”, Relapse Records
“THE OBSESSED is back with ‘Sacred’, a holy grail collecting all dirt riding your iron horse sunwards, uplifting and pushing, also digging deep when rolling the slow and heavy riffs out, as blue and rooted in the heavy rock and doom history as you’d ever imagine.”Read more & listen HERE!6. MONOLITH CULT “Gospel Of Despair”, Transcending Records
“MONOLITH CULT create a crushing, bass-driven sound combining grand storytelling and tons weighing guitar riffage that is soaked with jaw dropping harmonies and melodiosity. ‘Gospel of Despair’ serves hymnal epic doom, which is based on pure 80s heavy metal heroism including top quality high register vocals, interwoven with ubiquitous decline and agony.”Read more & listen HERE!7. HOODED PRIEST “The Hour Be None”, I Hate Records
“HOODED PRIEST are wielding the soar slowly and deadly on ‘The Hour Be None’, the brand new album of this Dutch-Flemish doom metal outfit. Serves heaviest traditionalism in the vein of early Black Sabbath, Cathedral, Count Raven and Reverend Bizarre!”Read more & listen HERE!8. WOLF COUNSEL “Age Of Madness / Reign Of Chaos”, Czar Of Crickets
“Another remarkable album by one of the heaviest doom exports of the Alpine region! Comes with unique oddness and recognition value in the vocals, grand melodies and slowly paving, tons heavy guitar riffs as well as cutting leads to serve another ultra-heavy beast of classic style doom and gloom.”Read more & listen HERE!9. PROCESSION “Doom Decimation”, High Roller Records
“‘Doom Decimation’ serves most epic doom greatness including crispy 80s heavy metal, haunting melodies, hymnal choruses and razor sharp guitar leads making you raise fists and swords towards the weeping sky of agony! A sonic impact leaving earth crushed and inhabitable!”Read more & listen HERE!10. CARONTE “Yoni”, Ván Records
“On their third full-length, ‘Yoni’, Italian CARONTE perfectly combine occult stoner tunes and gothic feel with heaviest doom riffage. The powerful, diversified vocals of Dorian Bones are giving the album its straight traditional feel.”Read more & listen HERE!
OF DEATH & FUNERAL PYRE1. WITH THE DEAD “Love From With The Dead”, Rise Above Records
“Lee Dorrian’s WITH THE DEAD spread agonizingly heavy, nihilistic extreme doom metal on their 2nd album. ‘Love from With the Dead’ is a grim salute to mankind eating each other driven by ubiquitous hate and trepidation.”Read more & listen HERE!2. FUNERALIUM “Of Throes And Blight”, Weird Truth Productions
“‘Of Throes And Blight’ serves deadly slow, tons heavy, driven by finger thick bass strings, still pushing, distorted to the bones riffage – the most abyssal, disturbing and hate spitting funeral doom since years!”Read more & listen HERE!3. ALTAR OF BETELGEUZE “Among the Ruins”, Transcending Obscurity Records
“ALTAR OF BETELGEUZE from Finland make you crawl ‘Among the Ruins’ playing slowly grinding doom metal as abyssal as old school death metal and epic like majestic Pallbearer!”
4. ILLIMITABLE DOLOR s/t, Transcending Obscurity Records
“Australia’s ILLIMITABLE DOLOR serve a sonic obituary slowly spreading unbearable grief, framing their personal loss and pain in most authentical funeral/death doom metal. A heartrending tribute to deceased The Slow Death companion Gregg Williamson!”Read more & listen HERE!5. RED MOON ARCHITECT “Return of the Black Butterflies”, Inverse Records
“Finnish RED MOON ARCHITECT deliver top quality, melodious funeral/death doom metal on ‘Return of the Black Butterfly’. Comes with ultra-heavy, crawling guitars, gothic style keys as well as abyssal growls and operatic female vocals.”Read more & listen HERE!6. USNEA “Portals Into Futility”, Relapse Records
“Portland’s USNEA return with ‘Portals Into Futility’, serving expertly crafted and elegantly depressive doom metal that ebbs and flows with mournful melodicism and soul-crushing heaviness!”Read more & read HERE!
7. ENTER THE SOIL “That Ember Lit Morning”, self-release
“‘That Amber Lit Morning’ by New Zealand’s ENTER THE SOIL is a beautifully arranged conceptional album full of calm acoustics and tons weighing riffage. Justin Chorley’s very talented when it comes to writing heartbreaking melodies and pull you down in the very depth of mental bleakness.”8. MESMUR “S”, Solitude Productions
“Mesmerizing athmospheric funeral doom metal as cold and frightening as the infinite universe! If a space corpse perceived, it would suffer exactly like this, drifting through utter darkness past hostile planets and dying stars.”Read more & listen HERE!9. MARCHE FUNÈBRE “Into the Arms of Darkness”, Solitude Productions
“MARCHE FUNÈBRE are joining the greats of doom/death metal with ‘Into The Arms Of Darkness’ delivering five top quality tracks full of mourning and aggression.”Read more & listen HERE!10. THE HOWLING VOID “The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn”, Avantgarde Music
“THE HOWLING VOID’s sixth album, ‘The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn’, offers dreamy-melancholic funeral doom metal dominated by symphonic keys. Comes with multifaceted guitars including heavy riffage as well as blues-tinged and folkloristic acoustics.”Read more & listen HERE!
SLUDGE NIHILISM &LIFIER WORSHIP1. PRIMITIVE MAN “Caustic”, Relapse Records
“PRIMITIVE MAN spit their second act of pure sonic violence out. Serves earth crust shattering dissonant sludge that is crushing and burning the remnants with tenacious doom lava and most brutal death metallic rage. It’s merciless, it’s disturbing, it’s ‘Caustic’!”Read more & listen HERE!2. YANOMAMO “Neither Man nor Beast”, Iommium Records
“Pissed off like Eyehategod, crawling like Noothgrush – haven’t been stumbling over a bulldozing sludge monolith like YANOMAMO’s ‘Neither Man nor Beast’ since young Iron Monkey. Maximum distorted, ear bleeding doom’n’blues!”Read more & listen HERE!3. COME TO GRIEF “The Worst of Times”, Fuck Yoga Records
“COME TO GRIEF’s ‘The Worst Of Times’ is a devastating monument of sludge reminding of the slowly grinding past and leading into a sonically crushing future! Featuring original Grief member Terry Savastano! GRIEEEF, got it?!”Read more & listen HERE!4. BORIS “Dear”, Sargent House
“Japanese sound extremists BORIS dive deep in the drone abysses of the band’s early years with ‘Dear’. Combined with most ambient experimentalism and tons weighing doom and stoner riffage, we are served an audiophysical feast!”Read more & listen HERE!5. GRIM RAVINE “The Light is from Below”, Black Bow Records
“GRIM RAVINE deliver abyssal sludge/doom destruction on ‘The Light Is From Below’ that is covering human scum with misery and disgust!”Read more & listen HERE!6. 71TONMAN “Earthwreck”, Black Bow Records
“Polish 71TONMAN deliver the sonic answer to nowadays madness combining utter hate with apocalyptic stench of death. ‘Earthwreck’ is fatter, lower and slower – brain melting and bone crushing!”Read more & listen HERE!7. LIZZARD WIZZARD “Total War Bastard”, self-release
“Making no prisoners, LIZZARD WIZZARD from Australia hack and slay from the very beginning, crush and burst until the end and bulldoze the battlefield in between to welcome another horde to be slain, crushed and rolled over for the following attack.”Read more & listen HERE!8. SATOR “Ordeal”, Argonauta Records
“SATOR is one of Italy’s most crushing sludge acts combining relentlessly distorted riffage and shrieks with pointed stoner reminiscences. ‘Ordeal’ is a bulldozer!”Read more & listen HERE!9. COUGHDUST “Worldwrench”, Suicide Records
“COUGHDUST are unstoppably ploughing battlefield earth like a forty-ton tank. ‘Worldwrench’ is gut wrenchingly fierce whilst maintaining slow and monstrously heavy.”Read more & listen HERE!10. PALE HORSEMAN “The Fourth Seal”, Black Bow Records
“Chicago’s PALE HORSEMAN serve merciless, flawlessly played sludge metal on ‘The Fourth Seal’, which is haunting from the pulping first riff to the cutting, desperately weeping guitar lead at the end!”Read more & listen HERE!
FEMALE FRONTEDSORROW & DESTRUCTION1. BATHSHEBA “Servus”, Svart Records
“Belgian BATHSHEBA serve a heavy gem of crawling bleakness with ‘Servus’, which is bleeding grief and despair in rivers – lifts the band on top of the doom metal genre.”Read more & listen HERE!2. ALUNAH “Solennial”, Svart Records
“ALUNAH’s ‘Solennial’ is a masterpiece of doom causing gooseflesh with every tone, its warmness and ravishing melodies.”Read more & listen HERE!3. MONARCH “Never Forever”, Profound Lore Records
“French sonic extremists MONARCH are serving pure bleakness on ‘Never Forever’, their brand new album, spreading from low-end drone rituals to most haunting doom grandness.”Read more & listen HERE!4. BRUME “Rooster”, Doom Stew Records
“The debut full-length of San Francisco’s BRUME is a didactic play of doom and as pompous as the ‘Rooster’ on the album cover. Comes with dangerously catchy melodies and the beautiful voice of Susie McMullan!”Read more & listen HERE!5. KING WOMAN “Created in the Image of Suffering”, Relapse Records
“KING WOMAN’s actual album was literally ‘Created in the Image of Suffering’ taking you on a journey through subliminal fear as felt by a lonesome black flower sipping from the ocean of despair and crying tears of neverending grief.”Read more & listen HERE!6. KROH “Pyres”, Devizes Records
“KROH return with ‘Pyres’ delivering five hymns full of acoustic depression, buzzing anxiety and desperate siren call – dangerously catchy and haunting!”Read more & listen HERE!7. THE MOTH “Hysteria”, This Charming Man Records
“THE MOTH are riding an unpolished horse of steel on ‘Hysteria’, serving utterly raw, brutally thrashing as well as bulldozing heaviness! Comes with schizophrenic twin vocals!”Read more & listen HERE!8. DEVIL ELECTRIC s/t, Kozmik Artifactz
“The debut of Melbourne-based DEVIL ELECTRIC is a catchy piece of blues-driven doom rock featuring the powerful vocals of Lady Velvet: Pierina O’Brien!”Read more & listen HERE!9. HELA “Death May Die”, Lay Bare Recordings & Discos Macarras
“Spaniards HELA deliver their most dynamic and diversified album with ‘Death May Die’ adding new influences and progressive structures to their dark and melodious style of heavy doom metal.”Read more & listen HERE!10. GREEN METEOR “Consumed by a Dying Sun”, Argonauta Records
“GREEN METEOR smells like doom spirit being ‘Consumed By A Dying Sun’ – Acid King style space doom meets Nirvana’s punk’n’roll!”Read more & listen HERE!
POSTAPOKALYPTICAGONY
1. CRACKHOUSE “Be None. Be Nothing”, Argonauta Records
“Imagine Dopethrone being pulled ‘Through Silver in Blood’ (Neurosis) to get an idea about CRACKHOUSE ‘Be No One. Be Nothing’, which is a dystopian sludge beast!”Read more & listen HERE!2. OCEANWAKE “Earthen”, ViciSolum Records
“OCEANWAKE’s ‘Earthen’ serves tragical, spirally evolving sonic stories telling about despair and utter grief. These Finns combine huge athmospheric sounds with devastating doom destruction!”Read more & listen HERE!3. ENDLESS FLOODS “II”, Dry Cough Records & Breathe Plastic Records
“ENDLESS FLOODS are sending two sky high riff monoliths filled to the brim with utter grief that slowly and relentlessly erode your desperate soul. An album made for pain addicts, who love wading in darkness and solitude whilst enjoying minimalist, almost droning beauty drenched in mournful melodies! A feast for doom extremists and feedback junkies!”Read more & listen HERE!4. AATHMA “Avesta”, Underground Legends Records
“AATHMA are back with their new album ‘Avesta’ presenting quality sludge/stoner spanning from blues-laden heavy rock with clean vocals to crushing riffage with monstrously rolling bass lines and hatred shouting.”Read more & listen HERE!5. HAWKMOTH “Godless Summit”, Black Bow Records
“HAWKMOTH released ‘Godless Summit’ being the first part of a sonic drama leading in the hostile desert of the Australian outback. Serves hypnotic, sun burned post-metal and tons heavy, bass-driven doom riffage!”Read more & listen HERE!6. CATAPULT THE DEAD “A Universal Emptiness”, Doom Stew Records
“CATAPULT THE DEAD take best Neurosis style sludge to develop a beautifully devastating doom monolith filled to the brim with immeasurable despair and grief-struck longing.”Read more & listen HERE!7. UR “Grey Wanderer”, Droneburg Records
“UR manage to unleash the forces of nature on ‘Grey Wanderer’ that are associated with the elemental strength of the eponymous aurochs being huge, massive and awe-inspiring!”Read more & listen HERE!8. DDENT “آكتئاب”, self-release
“DDENT’s intelligent debut – “آكتئاب” – combines rolling doom with post metal shyness and dark ambience telling a sonic drama about melancholy and depression.”Read more & listen HERE!9. JUPITERIAN “Terraforming”, Transcending Obscurity Records
“JUPITERIAN revive early 90s extreme doom metal contrasting death metallic, gurgling sludge a la Corrupted, Esoteric style funeral agony and gothic gracefulness in the vein of Paradise Lost.”Read more & listen HERE!10. YLVA “Meta”, Pelagic Records & Translation Loss Records
“YLVA from Australia play technically challenging, ultra-heavy post-metallic sludge!”Read more & listen HERE!
WITH STONED GROOVESINTO BLUES SPACE1. FORMING THE VOID “Relic”, Argonauta Records
“Listening to FORMING THE VOID’s ‘Relic’ is like beeing on a perpetual trip of ethereal joy and musical exploration, like gliding with wide spread wings on the very best of heavy rock history!”Read more & listen HERE!2. INTERSTELAR “Resin”, Kozmik Artifactz
“Los Angeles’ INTERSTELAR launch ‘Resin’, which takes you on a grand stoner ride on their colossal spaceship through multidimensional worlds of psychedelic rock, riff-based heavy blues and heartrending vocal gospel – as catchy as Kyuss, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains!”Read more & listen HERE!3. DEADSMOKE “Mountain Legacy”, Heavy Psych Sounds
“DEADSMOKE serve corroding sub-frequencies and rhythmically bulldozing stoner/doom infused by disturbing synthetic sounds on ‘Mountain Legacy’, reverberating the feeling of loneliness and despair being lost in impenetrable fog amidst deserted woods and mountains.”Read more & listen HERE!4. THREE EYES LEFT “The Cult of Astaroth”, Argonauta Records
“THREE EYES LEFT released ‘The Cult of Astaroth’ via Argonauta Records, which is a doom infested sludge/stoner beast full of tons heavy, slowly rolling as well as driving riffage that is buzzing like a swarm of possessed bumblebees on a psychedelic trip.”Read more & listen HERE!5. 1968 “Fortuna Havana”, Black Bow Records
“1968 is rolling out monstrous stoner riffs carrying the blues rock roots of the late 60s translated into up-to-date heaviness. ‘Fortuna Havana’ is great!”Read more & listen HERE!6. MOTHERSLOTH “Moon Omen”, Argonauta Records
“What if Glenn Danzig sounded heavy weight, he would be (a) MOTHERSLOTH! Well, he is not but these Spaniards, who play sort of doom infested slow riffing stoner that is rolling along melancholical vocals reminiscent of the mentioned and of Alice In Chains-like sonical tragedy.”Read more & listen HERE!7. WITCHSTONE “Mortal Fear of Infinity”, self-release
“Calgary-based WITCHSTONE consequently crawl along the path paved with heavy psychedelia, fuzzy blues, 70s rock and slow doom riffage. Both the instrumental and the vocal sound are soaked with utter gloom and obscurity making “Mortal Fear Of Infinity” a catchy, nightmarish trip through the darkness of space leading beyond human imagination.”Read more & listen HERE!8. SNOWCHILD “Age Of Change”, Kozmik Artifactz
“Sounds like Black Sabbath re-inventing the wheel of doom with young Ozzy at vocals – serves authentic 70s style prog and blues rock with maximum wah and fuzz on the crawling guitars!”Read more & listen HERE!9. SNOWY DUNES “Atlantis”, Heavysike Records
“If you love top quality, relaxant stoner that makes you ride on a rainbow through cosy psychedelic rock soundscapes reminiscent of the 60s and jump in the ocean of catchy, blues-infested guitar riffs and leads, ‘Atlantis’ by SNOWY DUNES is the album of your choice!”Read more & listen HERE!10. DEADNECK “Levitation”, Kozmik Artifactz
“Hailing from Finland, DEADNECK play blues soaked, doom infested stoner on ‘Levitation’ that could have been dragged directly from the swamps of New Orleans. Comes along with catchy hooks, pointed psychedelia and jam-like vibes. Highly addictive!”Read more & listen HERE!
SONIC LAVA FROMTHE ABYSS OF BANDCAMP
1. CHANT OF GODDESS s/t, South American Sludge Records
“CHANT OF THE GODDESS from São Paulo/Brazil released a stunning debut album, serving maximum doom and tons heavy guitar riffs that roll and push at lowest speed to mid-tempo, switches to utter violence at some points. Comes with catching melodiosity here, loads of fuzz there and rare but good vocals!”Read more & listen HERE!2. LEGBA “Necromance”, Greenhouse Records
“LEGBA surprised with a remarkable debut serving South Carolina vooDoom in 2016. On their new record called ‘Necromance’, the Greenville-based band delivers eight tracks of jaw dropping blues and melodious sludge including soulful as well as desperately suffering, Crowbar style vocals. Unique and beautiful!”Read more & listen HERE!3. FOREST OF LEGEND s/t, self-release
“Coming from Virginia, FOREST OF LEGEND build a monolith of doom metal incorporating the best this genre has been offering in every decade. Sounds like Sabbath and Vitus crawl down on their knees – lamenting like Warning – in blues-soaked sludge through thickest Sleep-fog. Grand!”Read more & listen HERE!4. BATTLE HAG “Tongue of the Earth”, Transylvanian Tapes
“The cassette tape version of BATTLE HAG’s debut full-length, ‘Tongue of the Earth’, is sold out yet! Serves heaviest, utterly dark doom metal full of agonizing, beautifully played guitar hooks and harmonies whilst bulldozing at slowest speed. Even the growled vocals crawl along the catchy melodies. A quality sludge/death interpretation of Pallbearer style sorrow!”Read more & listen HERE!5. JADD MADDEN “Cosmic Black Wizard Demon Horse Lord”, self-release
“Multi-instrumentalist JUDD MADDEN released the ninth full-length being his darkest and bleakest work in a constant line of high quality instrumental doom metal albums. ‘Cosmic Black Wizard Demon Horse Lord’ comes with tons heavy, glacially drifting guitar riffs and drone-reminiscences in each of the epic tracks. Again downloadable for free at Judd’s Bandcamp!”Read more & listen HERE!6. BATTALLIONS “Moonburn”, self-release
“Nasty groove-ridden sludgecore from Hull in the UK! ‘Moonburn’ makes doom snails shake their heads and hips!”Read more & listen HERE!7. DESTROYER OF MAN “Descent”, self-release
“Baltimore’s DESTROYER OF MAN deliver a killer debut with ‘Descent’ combining dissonant, mournful doom metal riffage with sludge destruction and breakdown dynamics! Ultra heavy and diverting!”Read more & listen HERE!8. GREENBEARD “Lödarödböl”, Sailor Records
“GREENBEARD from Austin/Texas play driving and catchy stoner of the Scandinavian sorta kind when talking about the immanent fuzz-driven desert and psychedelic rock vibe as well as the album title: ‘Lödarödböl’. Comes with pop-suitable sing-along melodies!”Read more & listen HERE!9. LIVID “Beneath This Shroud, The Earth Erodes”, Prosthetic Records
“LIVID’s second album comes with erosive, haunting doom metal full of memorable melodies and powerful vocals. The writing skills compensate the raw overall sound production, which could have been more differentiated to enjoy every detail.”Read more & listen HERE!10. VINNUM SABBATHI “Gravity Works”, self-release
“A remarkable release coming from Mexico by VINNUM SABBATHI, who explored that ‘Gravity Works’. Their music works as well when it comes to stoner/doom tunes that have been shot into space and make you spin around planets and stars.”
