After the dust settled, PATRIARKH emerged to carry on the legacy of Batushka. They take their sound to loftier places on ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ (Napalm Records). There is a more grandiose nature to the sound this album unveils. It leans more in the direction of symphonic black metal. Rather than being bolstered by a string section, they have incorporated an array of lush Eastern European sounds. This brings an almost Dead Can Dance vibe to the sonic tapestry putting them closer to what Rotting Christ does than Behemoth.Continue reading
Tag Archives: Death Doom
ALBUM REVIEW: Voidwards – Bagulnik
Voidwards are an enigmatic collective formed in 2005. Bagulnik (Aesthetic Death Records) is the first full-length in their career of almost twenty years. The record draws inspiration from a Russian teacher named Ivan Perfiliev and his writings over a century ago about a swamp that he claimed had supernatural properties.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Lord Sin – Confessions
Black metal is to thank for bringing the mystique back to music. This duo from Portugal cloaks themselves in black shrouds, we can assume they are not playing in, but instead of blast beats Lord Sin hits you with some creepy dirges on their sophomore album Confessions (Larvae Records). The graveyard stomp of the riffs allows darkness to possess their sound organically, rather than having to pull out all the Halloween decorations to convince the listener. Halfway into the first song, it’s easy to hear where they fall in the middle ground between doom and black metal. For a duo, they are cranking out a great deal of sound and care about writing songs, rather than just bashing out riffs. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Veilburner – The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom
Veilburner (the mysterious, otherworldly duo of Mephisto Deleterio and Chrisom Infernium, are never shy of tying lore and mythology into their releases. Seven albums, seven tracks, and each of them seven minutes long. On The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom (Transcending Obscurity Records) the pair pick up where they left off (both musically and conceptually) with 2022’s almost-eponymous VLBRNR. Continue reading
PODCAST: Funeral Leech’s Lucas Anderson Breaks Down “The Illusion of Time” Album
In this episode, Lucas Anderson (a.k.a. L), drummer and vocalist of the death/doom metal band Funeral Leech, discusses their latest release The Illusion of Time, out now from Carbonized Records, nearly four years after their acclaimed album Death Meditation. He offers insights into Funeral Leech’s process of dark and atmospheric compositions. And we also nerded out on comics!Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Maudissez – Maudissez
What Maudissez are able to do with instruments (at least I assume they’re instruments) is unsettling to the nth degree.
The anonymous and self-described anti-Christian blackened sludge-cum-Death/Doom entity doesn’t simply make music; the four tracks featured within Maudissez (Sentient Ruin Labs) are as raw as a mooing filet mignon. Continue reading
INTERVIEW: Tom Osman Interviews My Dying Bride’s Andrew Craighan About “A Mortal Binding”
In this episode, Andrew Craighan, founding member and guitarist of My Dying Bride, has a compelling discussion with Tom Osman about the band’s latest release, “A Mortal Binding,” available now via Nuclear Blast Records. Gain a deeper understanding of the album’s concepts and the band’s enduring influence on the metal genre.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Göden – Vale Of The Fallen
Violins will and should always belong in various subgenres of Metal, and when done right, the addition of a classical string instrument can transport listeners to vast transcendent landscapes – see Dawn Ray’d (RIP).Going even further and introducing new or grossly underutilized techniques can (and often does) represent a beacon of freshness for both the musicians and fans alike.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: My Dying Bride – A Mortal Binding
My Dying Bride might be the most important Doom band ever. Their second album Turn Loose The Swans (1993, Peaceville Records) redefined the genre, forsaking Sabbath worship, and creating a romantically depressing river of sonic darkness from which they sailed. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Coffins – Sinister Oath
Sinister Oath (Relapse Relapse), the sixth full-length from Tokyo-based Coffins, is a measuring stick for the Death/Doom scene, providing an undeniable starting point for anyone looking to dip their toes into the genre, performers and fans alike. Continue reading