Saint Vitus

Kings Destroy – Fantasma Nera Review

By Grymm on March 7, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, Reviews, Svart Records, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, 149 comments

“I’ll admit, I usually associate certain countries with distinct sounds, especially when it comes to doom metal. The dreariness of British doom sounds miles apart from their Swedish counterparts, and American doom sounds just as removed from the aforementioned. Hell, here in America, you can usually tell from a band’s musical make-up just which city they’ve come from. What I’m getting at here is that, besides Type O Negative, I can’t think off the top of my head another doom metal band from New York state. Brooklyn’s Kings Destroy are hoping their fourth album, Fantasma Nera, will change all that.” No doom til Brooklyn.

Shallow Grave – Threshold between Worlds Review

By Angry Metal Guy on December 5, 2018 in 2018, New Zealand Metal, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Sludgelord Records, Sludge Metal, 27 comments

“Doom is inescapable. Fear of the known is the constant background buzz of human existence, in its way as strong as fear of the unknown. The knowledge of one’s doom can be a chain too heavy to bear. It’s the curse of reading your future chiseled in granite, holding a crayon. Auckland, New Zealand’s Shallow Grave make their malevolent hay with that fear.” Fear the known.

Pale Divine – Pale Divine Review

By Steel Druhm on November 20, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Doom Metal, 51 comments

“I’m a fan of most things slow and heavy, but gritty, bluesy biker doom is especially my jam. Perhaps that’s the byproduct of a misspent youth hanging out with an older brother who was an outlaw biker and frequently on the wrong side of law. Maybe it comes from too much time in sketchy bars where you were as likely to get punched as catch a good buzz. Wherever the affection comes from, it’s part of my DNA. Pennsylvania’s three-piece doom crew Pale Divine share my appreciation for this roughneck sub-genre, crafting burly doom rock in the image of peak Corrosion of Conformity, The Obsessed and Wino-era Saint Vitus.” Bad hombres.

Iron Void – Excalibur Review

By Steel Druhm on October 22, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, English Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Doom Metal, 79 comments

“Few things are more epic than the tale of King Arthur, Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, and the original sword of poser pokery, Excalibur. Fewer still are as big and bombastic as John Boorman’s mammoth, sweeping retelling of the fairy tale in his 1980 film named after said mega-blade. Since Excalibur happens to be my favorite movie of all time, when I heard English doom mongers Iron Void were doing a conceptual album based on it, my interest was piqued.” Knight fall.

Forming the Void – Rift Review

By Grymm on August 21, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Doom Metal, Kozmik Artifactz, Reviews, Doom Metal, 33 comments

“If you were to tell me a decade ago, when I was still in college in New Hampshire, that there would be a glut of doom metal bands here in America, I would have laughed heartily in your collective face while avoiding my Statistics homework for the umpteenth time. Yet, ten years later, here we are.” You’ll need Stats and doom later in life, son.

Witch Mountain – Witch Mountain Review

By Huck N Roll on June 7, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 58 comments

“Who remembers Scion AV? Scion was a Toyota offshoot that clearly had headbanging executives in charge: for a few years they sponsored the release of tracks by metal acts ranging from Meshuggah to The Melvins. And there’s the tie-in: the first time I heard Witch Mountain was from a Scion AV download back in 2010. Those two songs became bonus tracks on a European vinyl rerelease of Cauldron of the Wild, so still relatively unknown, but they showed us what Witch Mountain were: heavy traditional doom influenced by Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus, with chillingly mesmerizing vocals courtesy of Uta Plonktin.” 99 problems, but a Witch ain’t one.

Nupraptor – The Heresiarch Review

By Steel Druhm on December 4, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Doom Metal, 28 comments

“One-man bands, once the exclusive domain of basement dwelling, meatloaf-consuming black metal denizens, are now becoming a trend in doom as well. Spirit Adrift impressed the AMG staff earlier this year and Via Vengeance is making a name for themselves (himself?) as well. Now make room for Nupraptor, the project of one Matt St. Our.” Doom is the loneliest number.

Cardinals Folly – Deranged Pagan Sons Review

By Ferrous Beuller on September 7, 2017 in 2017, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Nine Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, 12 comments

“We all know that imitation is supposedly the sincerest form of flattery, but where exactly is that flimsy line, where tribute slips into mimicry and thunders down that Jacob’s ladder, only to greet the ground with a limp thud, uniform and unremarkable. This is a question I find myself pondering whilst meandering through the trails of traditional doom that comprise Deranged Pagan Sons, the fourth release from Finland’s Cardinals Folly.” Ozzy says.

The Obsessed – Sacred Review

By Steel Druhm on April 3, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Doom Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, 24 comments

“Scott “Wino” Weinrich is a living legend. In a way he’s the American version of Lemmy and shares many traits with the late, much beloved metal icon. He’s always been a rebel, loner and an outsider in an outsider scene, pursuing his music without regard for popularity or acceptance. In the process he came to be considered one of the early pioneers of American doom. All of this began when he founded The Obsessed back in the 70s.” Obsessed, thirsty and miserable.

Dread Sovereign – For Doom the Bell Tolls Review

By Akerblogger on February 28, 2017 in 2017, Doom Metal, Irish Metal, Reviews, Van Records, Doom Metal, 14 comments

“As the curfew tolled the knell of the parting day, I decided to wander through the dark remains of a graveyard near my home. A thick and heavy fog rolled in, illuminated by moonlight, as I stared into the well of souls. By this point, I was thirsty and miserable and I felt myself slipping further into the void. I was bewitched by the scent of death as the children of the grave emerged from the gloom and approached me. The children carried individual USB sticks that held copies of an album by the Irish band Dread Sovereign.” Mix Tapes of the Dead!