Doom

Slow – Ab​î​mes I Review

Slow – Ab​î​mes I Review

“There was a time, not long ago, when I would’ve proclaimed myself an avid Slow fan. That was before I claimed the rights to cover the Belgian funeral doom duo’s ninth album, Ab​î​mes I. All this time, I had no idea Slow was so productive. In retrospect I don’t know why this surprised me, considering the prolific multi-instrumentalist Déhà is the project’s mastermind. Furthermore, I had no idea Slow spawned all the way back in 2007. My complete negligence regarding Slow’s origins and extensive back catalog qualifies me as the quintessential “false fan.” But rest assured, once I’m done with this write-up for Ab​î​mes I, I’m catching up post haste.” Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

Kadabra – Umbra Review

Kadabra – Umbra Review

Kadabra play a fairly stock standard fuzzed out stoner/psych rock heavily reliant on the 70s for aesthetic direction as well as contemporary revivalists like The Black Angels. Umbra has a bit more terrestrial than cosmic approach, with only a few distorted warping or echo effects, however Kadabra do use electric organ and layered vocals over their earthy guitar grooves.” Big hat, some magic.

Swami Lateplate – Doom Jazz II Review

Swami Lateplate – Doom Jazz II Review

“It’s 11 years since New York’s experimental jazz duo, Swami Lateplate, released their debut, Doom Jazz. To be fair, both its members, Bobby Previte and Jamie Saft, are extremely well-respected jazz musicians and they have been busy with other ventures. Drummer Previte, now in his 70s, has been a presence on the NYC jazz scene since the late 1970s, collaborating with the likes of John Zorn and Elliott Sharp.” Swami, salami, doom Jazz bomby.

Bees Made Honey in the Vein Tree – Aion Review

Bees Made Honey in the Vein Tree – Aion Review

“The last record from the curiously-named Bees Made Honey in the Vein Tree, 2019’s Grandmother, did not grace these pages but for some reason, I was aware of it and it made enough of an impression on me that I was interested to review its successor, Aion. Buzzing around since 2014, Bees released their debut, Medicine, in 2017. A whimsy, faintly progressive doom record with a few hints of stoner around the fringes, it was solid. Grandmother was an altogether more interesting affair. A tightly-written slab of doom that upped the progressive quota by dialing in some psychedelia, as well as a rumbling darker edge, it showed a lot of promise.” Tapping out the vein.

Mizmor – Prosaic Review

Mizmor – Prosaic Review

“Lacking imagination or originality is not a charge that I have seen directed at Mizmor, and certainly Prosaic launches out of the blocks in an onslaught of blackened doom, with even some sludgy nods thrown in. Fast, bludgeoning, and furious, initially it feels like a cleaner version of Mizmor’s self-titled debut, with more than a bit of Yellow Eyes and Primitive Man thrown into the mix.” Mizmor or Mizless?

The Devil’s Trade – Vidékek vannak idebenn Review

The Devil’s Trade – Vidékek vannak idebenn Review

“Hungary’s The Devil’s Trade never fails to challenge my ability to fairly evaluate music. There are two reasons for this: firstly, this darkest of folk music is so effective in its emotional gravity and genuine sorrow that it consumes me and often clouds my judgment; secondly, those tangible qualities that I typically critique in the music I listen to most play different roles and have different effects in this environment. It’s what made previous release The Iron Peak tricky to rate, too, and I’m grateful to see that in challenging my abilities as a reviewer, The Devil’s Trade hasn’t changed a bit.” Devil in the details.

Inherus – Beholden Review

Inherus – Beholden Review

You know that scene in The Last of Us where we first meet the clickers, which can’t see but are attracted to the slightest sound? This is how I regard my fellow AMG scribes, as sightless fungi that I must not alert to the tastiest morsels in the sump until that point in time when AMG Promo Pit Rules allow me to make a breakneck sprint for the album I’ve been eyeing up. Until then, I have to stay absolutely silent. So it was that for almost a month after (the apparently, and happily, rejuvenated) Hypnotic Dirge Records alerted me to the existence and impending release of Beholden, the debut by Inherus.” Shroom squad.

Death of Giants – Ventesorg Review

Death of Giants – Ventesorg Review

“Grief is both intensely personal, and a commonality between us all. This admixture of the private and the relatable can make music through which it is channeled incredibly powerful. In a genre like doom, already associated with the melancholy and the morose, these emotions fit naturally and reinforce both the sense of sadness and the potency of the music itself. The recent output of Swallow the Sun initially springs to mind. Death of Giants is another such act.” Giant feelz.