Blackwater Holylight – Silence/Motion
With Blackwater Holylight’s unique brand of Doomgaze getting gradually heavier with each passing album, it makes sense that their third full-length, Silence/Motion (RidingEasy Records), pushes that heaviness to its furthest extents yet.
Crystal Spiders – Morieris
With the second Crystal Spiders album, Morieris (Ripple Music), coming out just a year after Molt, it’s fair to say that it picks up where its predecessor left off. The guitar has a more noticeable presence courtesy of producer Mike Dean playing a more hands on role in the proceedings, but the songs remain primarily driven by Brenna Leath’s thumping bass and attitude-filled howls along with Tradd Yancey’s muscular drumming.
It has been thirty years since drummer / vocalist Jonas Renske and Anders “Blackheim” Nyström began a musical journey that would see them evolve from a studio-only project exploring their darker musical tastes to becoming one of the most respected purveyors of melancholic and post-Gothic music; always evolving with each album, embracing Gothic and progressive metal, and always distinctively Katatonia.
Witchcryer’s second full-length album comes with a noticeably broader scope in comparison to their 2018 debut. In contrast to the more groove-friendly approach to Doom Metal seen on Cry Witch, the song lengths on When Their Gods Come For You (Ripple Music) run longer with a greater emphasis on atmosphere and methodical structuring. The lyrics also work to give the album a more palpable sense of purpose, running the gamut of underworld and death figures from various world mythologies.
A lot has changed since Hour of 13’s last album, 333, came out in 2012. The project is now a one-man affair with bandleader/multi-instrumentalist Chad Davis playing all the parts himself, including vocals with Phil Swanson long out of the picture. That nine-year gap also saw a minor genre tug ‘o’ war take place as singles and EPs were torn between the Traditional Doom of albums past and Samhain-style Deathrock, often determined by whether the 13 was retained as a number or spelled out. With this somewhat convoluted frame in mind, it’s a relief to see the former style win out on their fourth full-length, Black Magick Rites (Shadow Kingdom Records).
Sad news to report as Eric Wagner, legendary Doom Metal vocalist of bands such as The Skull and formerly of Trouble has died, according to a report from The Obelisk website . He was 62 years old. Eric was to have performed with The Skull at Psycho Las Vegas this past weekend, and was in the midst of a co-headlining tour with The Obsessed. However, he ended up contracting COVID-19 and pneumonia as a result, before passing away as a result. The news was broken on social media by his son. Wagner carved out a legendary career in the genre of heavy metal as a vocalist for over 40 years, since coming out of Chicago. After an incredible run with Trouble in the 1980s which helped revive interest in traditional doom metal, heavy metal and adding other classic rock influences, before the bands’ reunion in 2007. After leaving the reunion he co-founded The Skull, and provided to be no less important, headlining festivals around the world and recording several key albums. This loss is devastating and we send our sympathies out to Eric’s family, friends, bandmates, and fans at this time. Continue reading
Post-Metal greats Kowloon Walled City have shared a new track – “Oxygen Tent.” It is the venerable Oakland bands’ first new music in six years, and they have more news to update fans on soon. Listen to the track now!
Mourn the Light – Suffer, Then We’re Gone
Mourn The Light offers Traditional Doom Metal with a few twists on their first full-length album. It doesn’t quite hit the full operatic scope of Epic Doom or reach the speeds of Classic Metal, but influences from both at work throughout Suffer, Then We’re Gone (Argonauta Records). The riffs and song structures are in line with the busy nature of Psalm 9-era Trouble while the vocals offer a husky but theatrical bellow, drawing further comparisons to groups like Altar Of Oblivion and Argus.Continue reading
While Legacy Of The Anointed (Argonauta Records) may be Spiral Grave’s full-length debut, it’s easy to also think of it as the sixth Iron Man album under a different name. After all, the musicians involved were part of that band’s last active lineup with guitarist Willy Rivera in place of the tragically passed on bandmate, Al Morris III. The style also bares a superficial resemblance to the Doom Metal approach last seen on 2013’s South Of The Earth. However, there’s a distinction between the two entities and Spiral Grave uses that connection as a springboard for their own identity.
In contrast to the darker doom path that Grief Collector established with 2019’s From Dissension To Avowal, their first proper full-length shows more direct connections to singer Robert Lowe’s past projects. ‘Corridors’ opens En Delirium (Petrichor Records) in a similar fashion that ‘Falling’ started off Solitude Aeturnus’s Through The Darkest Hour, featuring a catchy Grunge groove and lofty vocal lines. There are even some Classic Metal touches comparable to the most recent Tyrant album on ‘Our Poisonous Ways’ and ‘The Letting Go.’