Doom Metal

Crimson Swan – Unlit Review

By Angry Metal Guy on March 15, 2015 in 2015, Doom Metal, German Metal, Gothic Metal, Quality Steel Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 39 comments

“Crimson Swan is a German atmospheric funeral doom band from Hamburg, Germany. With one EP under their belt from 2012, Unlit marks the band’s full-length debut. Readers of this site are likely aware that funeral doom and I rarely see eye-to-eye. My case of Angry Metal Attention Deficit Disorder™ is well-documented and as a general rule records that don’t pop out speedy tracks littered with engaging virtuoso performances or progressive wankery send me out to do what Steel Druhm calls kindly ‘moss gazing.'” Can these novice German doom metallers strike that special chord in Angry Metal Guy’s heart? Or is he doomed to hours worth of moss gazing and boredom?

Ethereal Shroud – They Became the Falling Ash Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 9, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Doom Metal, English Metal, Reviews, Unsigned Bands, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 26 comments

“Honestly, I don’t know who is more thankful for the bat-like ears of the AMG senior (I mean this in the kindest way possible) staff; the readers or the reviewers. These old (sorry), metal titans have a knack for finding little-heard-of and underrated promos to be reviewed, and then hunt them down like a pack of blood-thirsty hellhounds.” Kvlt as hell, obscure as fook. Win win.

Apostate – Time of Terror Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on March 3, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Ukrainian Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 21 comments

“Apostate are one of the Ukraine’s oldest doom bands, but have only released one full-length prior to Time of Terror. Forming in 1993, they suffered a series of splits before eventually reforming this millennium to release 2010’s Trapped in a Sleep.” Old band, new lineup, no producer?

Heavydeath – Eternal Sleepwalker Review

By Mark Z. on March 2, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 11 comments

“Today’s metal underground is more complex than ever. The Internet has opened up every time period and obscure scene for both exploration and exploitation, resulting in genres and subgenres spliced apart, hybridized, fused with non-metal elements, and shat out in an accelerating vortex of name-your-price Bandcamp zip files and ostensibly enthusiastic blog posts that seem to proclaim every half-assed side project as the best thing since Black Sabbath.” Why, we’d never!

Goat Semen – Ego Svm Satana Review

By Madam X on February 25, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Grind, Hells Headbangers Records, Peruvian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, 18 comments

“What can I say, sometimes you just have to grab promo because it’s obnoxious and crude and sounds like a wacky way to ride out the week. Native to Peru, an area that offers as varied a range of metal as the biodiversity of the country itself, Goat Semen are delivering their debut full-length release.” What can we say, Madam X loves animals.

Crypt Sermon – Out of the Garden Review

By Steel Druhm on February 23, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Dark Descent Records, Doom Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 35 comments

“2015 is still in its embryonic stages, but we may already have the doom album ov the year in our dirty, peasant hands. Little heralded Crypt Sermon’s debut Out of the Garden is a veritable treasure trove of classic doom moments guaranteed to take the listener back to the good old days of the genre, before there were such things as “retro” or “occult” doom.” Hope you’re ready to feel the weight of the world, because we’ve reserved a doom with a view just for you.

Ruby the Hatchet – Valley of the Snake Review

By Saunders on February 20, 2015 in American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Tee Pee Records, Doom Metal, Stoner Rock, 9 comments

“We all have our go-to bands or genres we seek out when in need of a break from the rigorous traits of extreme metal, whether it’s the riff heavy rock of Truckfighters, the spacey psych jams of Mars Red Sky, or the soulful occult doom of Witch Mountain. In recent years I’ve gravitated more and more towards the fuzzy, doomy end of the spectrum when I want to take it down a notch. Enter Philadelphia’s Ruby the Hatchet, yet another band to throw their hat in the “female fronted retro doom rock” ring.” Is she related to Molly Hatchet, by chance?

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Mantar – Death By Burning

By Saunders on February 15, 2015 in Black Metal, Doom Metal, German Metal, Sludge, Svart Records, Things You Might Have Missed 2014, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Punk, Sludge Metal, 21 comments

“Say what you will about the quality of metal in 2014, there was certainly no shortage of impressive debut offerings from hungry up and comers led by killer full-length debuts from Artificial Brain, Black Crown Initiate and Dreamgrave. Another band that released a stellar first effort worthy of your time and cash was Hamburg-based duo Mantar.” We missed this, and it never stops hurting.

Yer Metal is Olde: My Dying Bride – The Angel and the Dark River

By Grymm on February 14, 2015 in Doom Metal, English Metal, Peaceville, Yer Metal Is Olde, Doom Metal, 30 comments

“Once upon a time in 1995, yours truly, then a long-haired kid with patchy facial hair, baggy cargo pants, and numerous black t-shirts featuring whoever was on Century Media Records at the time, was first getting into doom metal via word-of-mouth and the late, great Metal Maniacs magazine (RIP Katherine Ludwig). One of those bands I was told to check out was England’s gloomy sextet, My Dying Bride.” Doom is its own reward.

Primitive Man – Home Is Where the Hatred Is Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on February 11, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Doom Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Sludge, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Noise, Sludge, 3 comments

“Loud, heavy, dense, raging, lacking any sort of subtlety or nuance – rarely has a band been so aptly named as Primitive Man. Self-releasing their debut to critical acclaim both here and across the metalogosphere, they followed it up with a series of splits before being snapped up by Relapse for their latest outburst of hatred. Their approach has remained pretty consistent across these releases: crank everything up until it feeds back, then hammer out the most repulsive blackened sludge they can conjure.” Better call your local Department of Sludge Control.