Saint Vitus

The Obsessed – Gilded Sorrow Review

The Obsessed – Gilded Sorrow Review

“Every album we get from Scott “Wino” Weinrich at this stage of his career feels like playing with house money. As a living legend in the American doom scene, Wino had his fingerprints on so much music over the decades that trying to quantify it all can make your head spin. As the founder of early doom act The Obsessed in the 1970s, he helped shape the sound of the genre in America along with Pentagram, Trouble, and Saint Vitus.” Living backwards forever.

Thunder Horse – After the Fall Review

Thunder Horse – After the Fall Review

Huck boldly covered the first 2 releases by this Texas-based doom act and he was quite taken with their 2021 Chosen One platter. He enjoyed its heavy Sabbath worship filtered through a burly biker doom perspective with sprinkles of classic rock and Crowbar-esque sludge. I was also a big fan, and might have rated it a bit higher than the miserly old sod did.” Olde horses and classic sounds.

Kapnas – Kapnas Review

Kapnas – Kapnas Review

“We’ve all said, done, and worn things we aren’t necessarily proud of. Pants with legs that can hold a family of five comfortably? Yepper! Wallets with chains longer than an average CVS receipt? Been there, done that, got stuck on way too many things walking by. What I’m saying is that… well, in all of our lives, some cringe has happened. It’s unavoidable, yes, but we’ve moved on. Or at least some of us have. That leads us to the self-titled debut from masked Montreal “funeral doom” duo, Kapnas. All we are is dust on the weed.

Ǥứŕū – Nova Lvx Review

Ǥứŕū – Nova Lvx Review

“Just as the painting focuses on a spectrum of blacks, earth tones, and distortion, so Ǥứŕū does with their fusion of black metal and doom metal. Expect the typical unholy blackened trinity of shrieks, tremolo, and blastbeats, alongside the dramatic and full-bodied baritone and thicker tone of doom.” Painting with tar.

The Abbey – Word of Sin Review

The Abbey – Word of Sin Review

“The Abbey of Thelema was a commune in Sicily run by Aleister Crowley. Home to the wild hedonism and magick of his cult, the Abbey met its unceremonious end in 1923, when Crowley’s shenanigans convinced Mussolini to boot him out of Italy. Finnish psychedelic doom outfit The Abbey aims to carry on the Abbey’s legacy. ,b>The Abbey’s debut Word of Sin draws inspiration from occult organizations and their mystical practices.” Nuns DO have fun.

Iron Void – IV Review

Iron Void – IV Review

“U.K. old school doomers, Iron Void have been kicking around in one form or another since 1998. Their style is a no-nonsense mash-up of classic 70s and 80s doom sounds and trends with all the expected names referenced. There’s a core of Black Sabbath worship with nods to Pentagram and Saint Vitus accounted for. There’s also a mix of biker and epic doom influences dotting the landscape for extra punch. On their smartly-titled fourth album, this well-traveled three-piece demonstrate that they posses the knowledge and ability to deliver the doom thrills when their songwriting holds up.” Doom troopers in the lost void.

Early Moods – Early Moods Review

Early Moods – Early Moods Review

“With a name like Early Moods, this promo looked very out of place bobbing about in the AMG promo muck. It sounds like something a 60s jazz artist would dub his debut album, and it doesn’t so much as hint at its doom on roids character. That’s a marketing shame, as the band offers a unique and interesting take on the style pioneered by the likes of Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Witchfinder General, and Trouble. Formed by musicians from various thrash and death metal projects, Early Moods came together to attempt a marriage of classic doom with traditional heavy metal ideas and melodies.” Heavy dudes, doomy moods.

Strange Horizon – Beyond the Strange Horizon Review

Strange Horizon – Beyond the Strange Horizon Review

“As a child of the 80s metal scene, I grew to statuesque manhood marinating in the sounds of Pentagram and Saint Vitus. Those 80s doom titans are still near and dear to me and any act that tries to recapture the sound of that era has me as an ally. Norway’s Strange Horizon are one such band, striving to recapture that classic doom magic on debut Beyond the Strange Horizon.” Dawn of the doom.

Friends of Hell – Friends of Hell Review

Friends of Hell – Friends of Hell Review

“80s style doom metal is as rare these days as an honest person in politics. Bands that did it so well back in the day are all but extinct and even promising younger acts like Pallbearer and Khemmis who teased the rebirth of the style sagged under the weight of it all and drifted off to greener pastures. To this dark tableau come Friends of Hell, the classic doom project spearheaded by members of Reverend Bizarre and Electric Wizard.” With friends like this…