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The Official Doom Metal Recommendations Thread


RelentlessOblivion

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  • 2 months later...

Acid Witch - Stoned:

Acid Witch represents a pretty bizarre cross-section in doom. Not often have doom/death and stoner doom had much overlap, but the campy way in which Acid Witch blends these two sounds probably helps their case. This is like a B horror movie set to music, not really scary or chilling, but it's a great deal of fan to behold in all of its silly glory. The band originally featured the vocal talents of Lysse from Hooded Menace, which is a solid parallel for the sound here, though with an extra rockin' infusion of 70's riffs. Not anything deep or serious, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Ava Inferi - Burdens:

Ava Inferi is a gothic/doom metal band from Portugal, but their best known member happens to be from Norway. You might be surprised to find Blasphemer of Mayhem and Aura Noir on guitar here, as this is a total departure from his regular sound, but his work here is actually quite accomplished. There are tons of clean compositions to contrast and/or complement the more doomy riffs, and his signature sound from Mayhem does pop up more than once as well. Also of note here are the vocals, which are very soft and elegant. Everything here is composed wonderfully, making for quite a melancholic and beautiful listening experience. Don't expect anything crushing, but this is very classy and well done gothic/doom that fans of bands like Draconian should appreciate.

Coffinworm - When All Became None:

Coffinworm is a newer band that has been received a great deal of hype lately. I think I was caught up on that hype when I had initially purchased it, and it was a bit of a letdown to me at first after hearing about them being a game changer. I still won't give them that honor, but now that my disappointment has faded, it has really grown on me. This is a nasty sounding sludge/black metal hybrid, with artwork and song titles to match the sound of the music contained within. Sludge is already meant to be grimey, but the fusion of black metal into their sound takes it to the next level. Very heavy and haunting album that sounds like pure dark filth.

Ceremonium - Into the Autumn Shade:

Ceremonium is yet another American doom/death band that seems to have been forgotten by most over the years. The sound here lines up with other American acts that most are more familiar with, like Morgion, Evoken, early Novembers Doom, etc..., though like Dusk, they have a bit more death metal in their sound. As a result, some passages on the album are more aggressive than more melancholic tracks such as this one, but that's hardly a bad thing, as they perform both styles very well. They would focus more on the death metal side of their sound on the following album, even integrating a little bit of black metal in the absence of doom. It's also a very enjoyable album, but wouldn't really belong in this thread. In any case, this is a great band that should be heard by fans of the genre, so give it a listen.

Concept of God - Visions:

Concept of God is pretty much just Solitude Aeturnus without John Perez on guitar. As John does have a pretty classy sound to his playing, it makes sense that this is more straightforward sounding, with flourishes of heavy metal and even some groove metal riffs intermingled with the more typical Solitude Aeturnus sounding riffs. As always, Rob's vocals are stellar, and sound great when combined with this style of music. There's no reason why a Solitude Aeturnus fan, or any traditional doom metal fan wouldn't enjoy this, so give it a go.

Ennui - The Last Way:

Ennui is a newer funeral doom band from Georgia of all places (no, not the state, the nation), and one that has made a massive impression on me. I had never heard of them before, but NTNR did a trade with one of their members, so I ended up with a copy of this, their sophomore album The Last Way. This is funeral doom at its best, everything is exactly the way that it should be. The sound is magnificent, clearly displaying the heaviness of the instrumental passages, as well as putting the excellent vocals perfectly in proportion. The mood is tangible and feels very personal, effectively communicating the vast sorrow of its performers. Class act funeral doom, this should be sought out by any fan of the genre.

Funeral - Frome These Wounds:

Funeral was an early funeral doom/death metal band, but one that did not continue with that sound for long. They stripped out many of their more extreme elements, becoming progressively more gothic, but still very heavy and doomy. The atmosphere has remained similar over the years though, very sorrowful, and focusing on the more beautiful and atmospheric side of doom metal. Fans of progressive metal, as well as fans of gothic and doom metal, should find this to be quite enjoyable, as I myself did.

Funeral Moth - Dense Fog:

Funeral Moth is a more traditional funeral doom act from Japan, focusing on a very minimalistic and bleak approach to the genre that was first explored by bands like Thergothon and Worship. The clean sections here are excellent and do a very good job of setting the mood, almost too well for the riffs that follow, as the clean sections are often more engrossing. This is not to say that the riffs aren't good, they're just more plodding and not as tense sounding. The pace never raises above a crawl, staying at the extreme slow end of the spectrum. This should be nothing new for fans of the style, but anyone expecting more melodic flourishes or an occasional speed burst, which has become more common in the genre recently, will not find them here. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any of the album's songs are available on Youtube, just this promotional clip from the label with some snippets from the songs themselves. This clip is plenty to paint a picture of what the album contains though, so if you enjoy this clip, check out the whole album.

Gravecode Nebula - Sempiternal Void:

Gravecode Nebula are a band that I have been familiar with for some time, but one that has taken their time to release what is so far their only album. I thought they were great when they opened for Nazxul years ago, but it sounds like they've been refining their craft since then, and have released a beast of a black/doom album here with Sempiternal Void. This is some seriously dark and bleak stuff, and while it musically ends up owing more to black metal much of the time, the atmosphere here is very doomy and dense, which is why I have placed it here. Fans of black metal and depraved sounding doom like early Esoteric and Unholy alike should enjoy this.

Graveflower - Returning to the Primary Source:

 

Graveflower is a newer doom/death metal band from Russia, a nation which has been known for producing a great many acts following in the footsteps of My Dying Bride. While MDB is certainly a big influence here, this band is far from a carbon copy, with some faster paced flourishes here that keep things interesting. Additionally, the sections that do sound like MDB remind me of their best material, so their plagiarism is hardly a bad thing. Not the most original band out there, but one that fans of MDB and other melodic/gothic doom/death metal bands should enjoy.

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Ok let's have a couple of my favourite doom acts added.

First up, Lycus.  Firmly mired in funeral doom Lycus dropped a super heavy demo in 2011 which was well received with its slow, deep and powerful sound.  "Tempest" came in 2013 and is a monolithic slab of funeral doom, seeped in atmosphere.

Next we have CHRCH.  Now I only found these guys late last year but their debut "Unanswered Hymns" is a mighty piece of sludgy doom if ever I heard one.  Unable to find anything on YouTube from them so can only provide a link to their Bandcamp. Worth a click folks.

https://churchdoom.bandcamp.com/album/unanswered-hymns

 

Sea Bastard are a band I found after getting chatting with their bassist on my other forum, he also is in another band called Sabazius who feature next in my list.  Sea Bastard not only have a brilliant name they also make cool as fuck doom music as well. Album: Great Barrier Rift

Sabazius write some seriously lengthy tunes.  They got signed to Earache and released an 11 hour song - yes that is right 11 fucking hours, don't worry I will link a shorter song.  It is crushing stuff certainly and may not be for all tastes. Album: Sabazius

Finally we have Bell Witch.  "Four Phantoms" is probably my album of the year for 2015, it isn't just a record it is an experience, a journey through mindscapes that no one else dare tread.  Guitarless doom, much more in the drone side of things but entertaining and still sounds like a star collapsing on itself at times.

 

 

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I remember liking that Lycus album when I first heard it after it dropped. However, when they opened for Worship, they fucking SUCKED. I don't know if I just wasn't paying attention to the album when I listened to it, or if the production hides it, but live there was no way to deny that they were total hipster doom bullshit. It really disappointed me, and I wasn't the only one, my friend that saw them in Denver the next night said the same thing.

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  • 1 month later...

Hmm well I might have two or three funeral doom bands which haven't yet been covered (and if they have been who cares) so here we go...

 

Celestial - Where Life Springs Eternal

 

Celestial is an American band with a strong emphasis on natural sounds. Their music tends to be extremely ambient and bears an almost meditative quality. That trait combines perfectly with their minimalist funeral doom approach in my opinion. Celestial are proving you don't need crushing tone and mournful melody to craft a bleak atmosphere.

 

Colosseum - Chapter 2: Numquam:

 

Colosseum were a Finnish funeral doom band with dense atmosphere and a super heavy tone. I say were because the band is now defunct, having split after the death of guitarist and vocalist Juhani Polamaki. They released three albums all of which are well worth picking up for fans of the genre.

 

Longing For Dawn - Between Elation and Despair:

Longing For Dawn are a Canadian funeral doom band crafting an incredibly dense and bleak atmosphere. Their songs tend to be extremely long and slow. Every aspect of their sound seems to carry a physical weight - crushing you beneath immense waves of sorrow. This album 'Between Elation And Despair' is my favourite from them. Along with being their most recent release it represents the culmination of their sound.

 

Monolithe - Monolithe I:

 

Monolithe are a French funeral doom band whose works focus on the story of mankind. Their songs explore man's evolution and various themes associated with this journey. Because of this lyrical approach their work is one huge concept split into various albums (3 at present). The band mixes heavy droning passages with melodic sections well all the while maintaining a mournful atmosphere. A must for fans of funeral doom.

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 year later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I guess doom is up next. Sunday misery soundtrack ahead.

 

Iron Monkey - Our Problem:

Iron Monkey have often been called the UK Eyehategod, which is a description that I can't fault. They follow a similar early sludge metal template of drug-addled hardcore fused with bluesy, Sabbath style doom, topped with gnarly vocals and manic bouts of aggression and misery. Despite how hopeless this often sounds, some grooving stoner passages still make this sound fun in a sick kind of way. This shouldn't be anything new for fans of classic sludge, but Iron Monkey might just have been the best at nailing this sound in the 90's. Swaggering, strung out hatred.

Keen of the Crow - Hyborea:

Keen of the Crow was the band that followed the demise of the mighty atmospheric doom/death masters Morgion, and the music here does serve as a bit of a continuation to what they were up to. Based on the album name Hyborea, you might have gleaned that this has a Robert E Howard sword and sorcery theme, and you would be correct in that assumption. As such, they augment the atmosphere of Morgion with some more epic sounding passages to fit the large scale narrative of that fictional world. It's a bit more uplifting sounding for that reason, but still plenty downtrodden in a way that should appeal to any doom/death fan. It features the level of attention to detail and professionalism that you would expect from these musicians, and comes with a high recommendation from yours truly.

Krief de Soli - Munus Solitudinis:

Krief de Soli is a relatively new funeral doom band from Canada, and one that seems to be a bit mysterious based on the lack of info provided of them online. What I do know is that they're absolutely stunning at their craft, creating some of the moodiest and most well composed symphonic funeral doom I've ever heard. The keyboards are kind of a central feature here with how they shape the melodies and structures of the songs, but that's not to say that the other instruments don't play their parts. The guitars, drums, and vocals serve more as an anchor, but are still interesting in their own right, functioning more as they would in a symphony as backing instruments to the keyboards pressing the songs forward. The atmosphere that they create is marvelous, something that you can really sink into. Great if you're into the new school of funeral doom, but have found other one man bands to be lacking in substance.

Las Cruces - Ringmaster:

Las Cruces is a band that I had mentioned before after seeing them live, but it took me a bit to track down their albums. Now that I have, I'm happy to list them here, as they're maybe even better on album than I remember them being live. When most people think of doom from Texas, Solitude Aeturnus would probably most readily come to mind, and they're not a million miles away from what Las Cruces is doing here, though Las Cruces has a bit more of a desert/stoner doom vibe mixed with the epic sound the Soiltude Aeturnus goes for. It's a great balance, so fans of all sides of traditional doom metal should find plenty to enjoy here. Big riffs, great vocals, catchy songs, and lots of grooving bravado. 

Lycanthia - Oligarchy:

Lycanthia is a gothic/doom/death metal band from Australia who seems to have a limited amount of releases for the amount of time that they've been around. Requiem had mentioned knowing these guys, so maybe he would know more about that, but they took me by surprise with their live performance. On Oligarchy, the band plays in the vein of early Theater of Tragedy and Draconian, with a great deal of flair and elegance. The clean vocals here are beautiful, and the piano and violin melodies compliment the guitars and drums without pulling the focus completely away from them. There are a lot of moving parts here, and a great deal of synergy between them, equating to busy and complex arrangements with simple pieces working together to form them. Hopefully it doesn't take another 13 years to see another album from them, because Oligarchy is great.

 

Mael Mordha - Gealtacht Mael Mordha

Mael Mórdha is an Irish foik/doom metal band that was yet another band I discovered from trading with the enigmatic NTNR. It seems like when a band or album earns his ire, they're probably great, which has been the case for many entries here and elsewhere in my collection. Mael Mórdha is often compared to Primordial, but I think that this is mostly due to the clean vocals sounding a bit like those of A. A. Nemtheanga, as the music has much more to do with the likes of Solstice (UK) and Pagan Altar. This is upbeat and epic sounding doom metal with a lot of folky melodies, with that influence never coming off as contrived or cheesy. If you're into epic doom metal (and honestly, why wouldn't you be?), give this a listen.

My Shameful - Descend:

 

My Shameful is one of many in the seemingly endless sea of doom/death metal bands from Finland, but one that I feel deserves mentioning. As with many doom/death bands at the turn of the century, My Shameful takes influence from all over the extreme doom metal spectrum, with touches of black/doom, funeral doom, and even a bit of drone/doom attaching themselves to their doom/death metal base. Mostly these touches are in the melody department, and also in the atmosphere that they create. That atmosphere and attention to melody should be something that fans of Doom:VS, October Tide, Rapture, and Shape of Despair would enjoy, as this is much closer to their sound than that of classic doom/death, with its more depressed sounding pacing and flow. 

Pagan Altar - Pagan Altar:

Pagan Altar was one of the earliest doom metal bands after the likes of Black Sabbath and Pentagram, but are not often acknowledged for this because their debut demo/album wasn't released until the late 90's, despite being recorded in 1982. As you might expect from early 80's doom from the UK, there is some proximity and crossover with the heavy metal that was being turned out at the time, similar to Witchfinder General. This is less directly Sabbath inspired than Witchfinder General though, with a folky predilection culled from Thin Lizzy, especially in the lead guitar department. A lot of bands caught on to this style in the 90's, which might have prompted the reformation of Pagan Altar, who were fairly active in the early 00's and, and have just released a new album this year. While I'm not familiar with those works, if this debut recording is anything to go off of, this is a classy and excellent band that never should have been forgotten. 

Primitive Man - Scorn:

Primitive Man is a relatively new sludge band from Denver, CO, and one that is making waves with their absolutely harrowing take on the sound. Similar to bands like Indian and Thou, but even more hateful and vile sounding, Primitive Man is not an easy band to listen to. Their arrangements are pretty simple, drawing on some drone/doom influence and a more dissonant hardcore palette for their uptempo sections, this is nasty in a way that has be heard to be believed. Along with Corrupted, this is about as extreme as I've heard sludge metal get, so prepare yourself accordingly for the audial onslaught that is to follow when you press the play button.

Profetus - ...to Open the Passages in Dusk:

A funeral doom band from Finland? I wonder what this sounds like... In all seriousness though, Finland must be a pretty miserable place, maybe from the lack of sunlight throughout a good portion of the year, because it seems like a disproportionate amount of melancholic doom metal comes from their shores. Profetus isn't doing anything new, as this is essentially just Skepticism worship, but while you have heard all of these sounds before on albums like Stormcrowfleet or Lead and Aether, this band is really good at channeling that same feeling that makes Skepticism so great. Drawn out melancholic melodies, church organ keys, minimal drumming, and deep, cavernous vocals, you know the drill, and Profetus does too, almost better than their influences do sometimes. As unoriginal as they may be, I can't call them "just another funeral doom band" either, because the level of quality and conviction that they present makes them worthy by itself.

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5 hours ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

A staggering 114 doom albums for me to check out courtesy of this thread. That doesn't even cover adding more albums from the bands I enjoy after ticking those off. Across doom and prog the recs list is already 145 albums.

I just did a new batch of death metal, and then I'll add more doom and black metal. Don't worry, I experience this same problem frequently too. 

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1 hour ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

It's crazy how much incredible music is out there. It's equally frustrating how little of it I can afford to buy. It's been nearly a year since I last bought an album...

I know, right? Isn't it incredible that there are trolling dinosaurs out there that just refuse to be impressed, while simultaneously dickriding whatever pop garbage that the mainstream is fellating?

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Strangely enough Pagan Altar have never made it beyond the fringes of my metal discoveries, until now.  An Internet acquaintance of mine toured with Primitve Man and said what spiffing chaps they were.  Love that track in the list, have a single of theirs but nothing more. Shall be exploring more Profetus and that Canadian funeral doom act also.

Couple of the links wouldn't play on my iPad but will check them out on desktop. Cheers BAN.

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1 hour ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

There was one that wouldn't play for me. Apparently the content was banned in Australia by whoever posted it due to copyright. Since I didn't know if that would be the case for anyone else I left it alone.

I run into that a lot with a friend from another forum in Turkey. Lots of links that I send her don't work in her country, but I guess I'm not surprised considering the political climate there.

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  • 4 months later...

I was planning another round of these before my last hiatus, but it never materialized. Time to pick up where I left off.

Ramesses - We Will Lead You to Glorious Times:

Ramesses was formed by Tim Bagshaw and Mark Greening after their departure from Electric Wizard. You can hear some similarities in the guitar and drum departments to Electric Wizard as such, but Ramesses was after something more vile and aggressive rather than the drawn out fuzz of Electric Wizard. This is a caustic and stoned sludge metal concoction with some death metal influences, a direction that Tim would further in Serpentine Path. Heavy, nasty sludge doom that makes the fracturing of Electric Wizard well worth happening.

Rippikoulu - Musta Seremonia:

Rippikoulu is an old Finnish doom/death band that played at the raw and vicious side of where those genres meet. They never released an album when they were first active, but thanks to renewed interest in this kind of music, the internet unearthed this demo and brought about a re-release so that we could all revel in its crushing destruction. For a demo, the production is surprisingly clear and heavy, and the length of the recording makes it feel like an album. Definitely a killer find and a reason to be grateful for what a great resource the internet has been for bringing music like this to a number of people who would never have heard this otherwise.

Solace - Further:

Solace is an American stoner/doom band that should appeal to fans of the more upbeat and grooving side of the genre. There's a very rock based approach here that recalls bands like Monster Magnet and Kyuss, but this is a lot heavier than those bands and also reminds me of swaggering passages of bands like Church of Misery and Cathedral. This could almost be thought of as uplifting stoner/doom, as it does seem to be more positive sounding than the typically negative outlook of doom, but don't let that deter you. This album does everything right, it grooves, it punches, and it soars. 

Spectral Voice - Necrotic Doom:

Spectral Voice is a newer band from Colorado that worships at the throne of raw old-school doom/death. Fans of the more deep and melodious pastures of mid-90's doom/death probably won't find much to enjoy here, but fans of the likes of Winter, Autopsy's Mental Funeral, Rippikoulu, Eternal Darkness, and the first Paradise Lost album should dig the hell out of this. Sounding like undead creatures rising from the catacombs depicted in the cover artwork, the stench of rotting death is all over this. Heavy, uncompromising, and fucking killer. 

Spiritual Beggars: Ad Astra:

Spiritual Beggars is a Swedish stoner metal band that is probably best known because of their lead guitar player Michael Amott, and his high profile work with bands like Carcass and Arch Enemy. Fans of those bands have likely noticed that his guitar playing started moving in a more 70's direction, especially in the mid-90's. While that's only one of many factors that has contributed to Arch Enemy's descent into suck, it's a very welcome addition to the music here. Like Solace above, this is very upbeat, grooving stoner metal with lots of rocking bravado that is really just fun to listen to. It's not going to be the heaviest thing that you'll listen to on this list, but it's pretty damn catchy and infectious.

SubRosa - More Constant Than the Gods:

SubRosa is a doom metal band from my hometown of Salt Lake City bringing something new and exciting to the table. Female vocals in doom metal are hardly a new thing, but Rebecca Vernon's vocals are the kind of ghostly tones that you would expect to hear from a band in a David Lynch production. The band also employs 2 violin players to provide an interesting backdrop to the crushing, heavily distorted riffs, sounding unlike anything else I've ever heard. It's a bit difficult to describe without hearing it, and you should absolutely push the play button on this link if you haven't heard this band yet to hear what I mean. This is excellent, original doom that I'm proud to say comes from my neck of the woods.

Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine - Rampton:

While Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine may seem like a strange name for a band, they picked it because it's the name of a song by the band that started this genre of music. The band in question would be Earth, and the genre is drone/doom. The best known band in this style has got to be Sunn O))), and I suppose it's fitting that this is a side project of members of Sunn O))), featuring Lee Dorrian of the mighty Cathedral on vocals. This isn't quite as experimental and outsider as Sunn O))), as it's a bit more grounded with having actual drums and a bit more active vocal and guitar riff presence. This almost reads like a more drawn out Burning Witch, another of Greg and Stephen's bands that I've posted here before, which is a good thing. For those into drone, Burning Witch, or someone looking to explore the more extreme side of doom metal, this is highly recommended. 

The Flight of Sleipnir - Essence of Nine:

The Flight of Sleipnir is another Colorado doom metal band, but one that is quite different from most bands of that scene, or from the US in general. This band is something of a folk/doom metal hybrid, somewhat similar to Mael Mordha, or perhaps a less gothic and more doomy Agalloch. The doomy distorted guitars are as serene and tranquil as the folky acoustic passages, and the whole sound has something of an epic vibe that should appeal to fans of viking metal. Really good stuff. 

The Howling Void - Megaliths of the Abyss:

The Howling Void is a symphonic funeral doom band from Texas, the solo project of Ryan Wilson. With the "symphonic" tag, you can expect a lot of keyboards, and they're pretty effective as one of the lead instruments, since the guitars tend to follow the bass and drums rather than leading the composition with riffs. This is really well done for a first effort, with everything in place to appease fans of the more melodious side of funeral doom, slotting in nicely alongside acts like Shape of Despair, Doom:VS, and Krief de Soli. You're not going to hear anything outside the norm if you're familiar with the formula, but The Howling Void puts it together well enough that innovation isn't really necessary. 

Thou - Celebrations of Humiliation:

Thou is one of the front-runners in the new wave of forward thinking sludge metal, alongside acts such as Indian, Primitive Man, and Coffinworm. Like the aforementioned acts, you can expect to hear plenty of classic Iron Monkey and Eyehategod riffs, but with less emphasis on the hardcore punk side of the sludge equation, and added heaviness and dissonance borrowed from doom/death and black metal. This is heavy, hateful, and self-destructive music of the highest order, and something that fans of classic sludge and also modern extreme metal should be able to appreciate. 

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  • 2 months later...
Like the album titles next to band names. Saves a bit of time. Also SubRosa is unlike anything I've heard and I like it.
I should have done that in the first place. Maybe I'll edit the old entries to reflect this, but I'm at least doing the new ones going forward. SubRosa is pretty damn cool, hopefully I get a chance to see them again soon. I saw them play a clean set a while back, which was really cool, but I'm sure they sound killer with a full wall of amps behind them.

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