Candlemass

Sönambula – Bicéfalo Review

By Holdeneye on January 4, 2019 in 2018, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Xtreem Music, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 94 comments

“Before hearing Deathhammer by Asphyx a few years ago, I didn’t think that death/doom was something that I wanted or needed in my life. Its combination of crushing heaviness and blistering extremity immediately grabbed me. I love that album so much that I named one of my favorite workouts after it. “Deathhammer” is what happens when I go out to my garage, put the title track on repeat, and beat a giant tire with a 20 pound sledge until I can no longer breathe. You can imagine my glee upon finding out that my latest promo counts the mighty Dutch juggernaut among its primary influences.” Hammer time.

Black Oath – Behold the Abyss Review

By Angry Metal Guy on December 13, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, High Roller Records, Italian Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 21 comments

“From their formation in 2006, it’s been clear that the oath the chaps in Black Oath have taken is to keep traditional doom/occult metal in the style of Candlemass and Black Sabbath alive and kicking. Their first full length, The Third Aeon was an unsurprising but competent slab of 60-BPM epic doom dirges. On subsequent releases Ov Qliphoth and Darkness and To Below and Beyond, the band evolved their style somewhat to incorporate Gothic rock and mild progressive elements into a more distinctive brew which frontman, bassist and vocalist A. Th (not a typo) has christened “Cursed Rock Musick” (also not a typo).” Diabolus in Musick.

Dirge – Ah Puch Review

By Master of Muppets on November 15, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, Indian Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Sludge Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 39 comments

“So the good news is that today we’ll be taking a field trip, we’ll be heading into the jungle so dress accordingly; the betterer news is that this is a time travel episode! Drawing lyrical inspiration from history and mythology alike, India’s Dirge are taking us to Central America, circa Hernán Cortés’ storied rape of romp through the Yucatán Peninsula. This box-approved bidness is a rather violent affair in and of itself, so hurry up and get your seatbelts fastened. Or don’t, yo. Your safety is none of my concern, I’m just here to tell you about a wicked good doom album.” Exploratory doom.

Age of Taurus – The Colony Slain Review

By Saunders on June 8, 2018 in 2018, British Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Rise Above Records, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, 96 comments

“One of the most difficult tasks for an established band is following-up a successful debut. The task at hand has resulted in many a failure, as artists choke under pressure and fail to capitalize on their promising foundations, buckling under the increased expectation from the record label and swelling fan-base. A follow-up of any sort didn’t seem a certain prospect for UK’s doomers, Age of Taurus. The band’s 2013 LP Desperate Souls of Tortured Times, was a captivating debut, built on a slightly modernized, traditional doom foundation of robust, ironclad riffage and generous hooks.” Doom call it a comeback.

Mist – Free Me of the Sun Review

By Steel Druhm on June 1, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, Reviews, Slovenian Metal, Soulseller Records, Doom Metal, 85 comments

“Mist is an upstart new act hailing from tiny Slovenia and featuring a lineup consisting of 4 women and one man. Together they tread the well-worn path of traditional doom metal while incorporating touches of 60s psychedelia and what has come to be known as occult doom. Free Me of the Sun is their debut outing and in preparation they’ve plumed the usual depths of Black Sabbath, Pentagram and Trouble to bring you the downcast goods.” Mist or missed?

Dautha – Brethren of the Black Soil Review

By Ferrous Beuller on March 25, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Van Records, Doom Metal, 35 comments

“”The meaning of life is that it stops.” – Franz Kafka, doom metal luminary. If there’s one genre of our beloved tumult that, above all others, wants nothing more than to ponder death in all of its final implication, it’s, ironically, not death metal. Doom be thy name and death be Dautha’s, a Swedish band plying the same Candlemasstery that incites many a metalhead to rage against the Dying of the Bride.” Doomed to death.

Twitching Tongues – Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred Review

By Dr. Fisting on March 9, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Hardcore, Metal Blade, Reviews, 44 comments

“Like many of you, I was shaken to my very core by AMG Himself‘s recent diatribe about subgenres. Fittingly enough, the very next album I’m handed to review is by a band that has blurred the lines of ‘metal’ and ‘hardcore’ for several years, confounding fans on both sides of the fence. As some of our longtime readers may have noticed, I really enjoy when bands do things that upset or confuse people, especially if it happens to result in interesting music. Enter Twitching Tongues and their fantastically-titled Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred.” When the pigeon can’t find the hole.

King Witch – Under the Mountain Review

By Ferrous Beuller on February 10, 2018 in 2018, British Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Listenable Records, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, 0 comments

“Thanks to a job that requires me to travel frequently, I spend an inordinate amount of time on trains. This allows me ample opportunity to sample whatever promo delight I happen to be attached to, but it also affords said artist a particular challenge – namely, can you draw my attention from the hell that is public transport. Between the droves of marauding spawn tearing up and down the aisle and the fuck-knuckle proudly standing in the middle of everything with his fucking bicycle, sweet riffs are all that separate the general public and an omni-directional wave of misanthropy, and Scotland’s King Witch have them.” Riffs over humanity.

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2017

By Dr. A.N. Grier on December 30, 2017 in 2017, Blog Posts, Lists, 121 comments

“Remember that scene in Ghostbusters (the real Ghostbusters…) where Winston tells Ray, ‘If someone asks you if you are a god, you say yes!’ Well, if someone asks you if you want to write a guide for teaching organic chemistry, you say hellafuckingno. I’m serious. Do yourself, and everyone around you, a favor. So, yeah, this year’s been nuts. Thankfully, there’s Angry Metal Guy—a solace for all metalheads to come together and be verbally abused and cat-tailed in the company basement.” Cat’s got yer list.

Procession – Doom Decimation Review

By Steel Druhm on October 30, 2017 in 2017, Chilean Metal, Doom Metal, High Roller Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, 22 comments

“Chilean doom metal act, Procession came out of left field and surprised me with 2013s To Reap Heavens Apart. It was an intriguing mixture of Candlemass, Primordial and trve metal acts like Visigoth and Argus, brought to us by members of such diverse acts as Destroyer 666 and the late, great In Solitude. It worked well despite being rough around the edges, gritty and unpolished, and made me eager to hear more. It’s been quite the wait, but late 2017 finally brings us their third album, Doom Decimation.” Chilean-fried doom.