Doom metal

2019 Albums

Album Review: Oak – Lone 8 (Death Doom)

November 18, 2019 Noob Heavy admin

Is this Treebeards band? The vocals deadset sound like they’re coming for a colossal fucking tree. I shit you not. OAK are a death doom duo from Portugal and this is Lone, their debut LP featuring the artwork of Paolo Gerardi. There’s a strong presence with OAK that I think has carried over from their experience writing black metal songs in the band Gaerea. While it is certainly death doom, it is sometimes coated in black influence – particularly the song structure and vocal execution. Lone will be a memorable late year release many doom heads will take with them into 2020. […]

2019 Albums

Micro Dose: Canyon Of The Skull – The Sins Of The Past (Post/Doom)

November 10, 2019 Noob Heavy admin

There’s been some solid instrumental albums released in 2019 and that’s going to continue right to the end of the year with the third album from American doomers Canyon Of The Skull titled Sins Of The Past. It contains a compelling and long two tracks, the first track titled “The Ghost Dance” (Basically half of the album) is streaming on bandcamp right now. It should speak to the hearts of Bongripper fans and anyone living that doom life. Who needs vocals? There’s nothing you can’t articulate with guitar and bass, especially when wielded so proficiently. Members of Canyon Of The Skull have also played in Powermad, 1349, Broken Hope and The Atlas Moth. […]

2019 Albums

Review/Interview: Heráldica de Mandrake – Esto también pasará 8.7 (Stoner Doom)

October 16, 2019 Noob Heavy admin

This is one of those scenarios where you don’t understand Spanish but can identify enough words capable of setting a tone. Get ready for some psychedelic action from this Chilean doom trio that’s wet with distortion, I may have even heard an amp blow at some point – unless it’s a drum they’ve down tuned or a pedal effect. There’s a strange aspect to it that a lot of people would describe as “not music”, bordering on noise doom, but it works organically into the overall sound. It’s an interesting release made ever more so by its distinguishable album art created by the frontman Francisco Rivera who offered some insight to the story behind their art as well as their anti-fascist stance (included at the end). […]

2019 Albums

Interview with Cold In Berlin (UK Doom)

September 30, 2019 Noob Heavy admin

Cold In Berlin have been playing equally atmospheric and abrasive live performances in London for almost a decade now. Starting with the essence of a post punk band and gradually absorbing the darkness of the world developing around them, dragging along with them a sense of doom. Their latest album, Rituals Of Surrender is a gothed up stoner doom album that releases on the 11th of October. I had a chance to hear the album early and very much enjoyed it, I also went back through their previous releases to find they basically started as an awesome band and stayed that way. So I’m very happy to present my interview with Cold In Berlin, an entertaining read whether you know the band or not (Just press play) […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Ocultum – Residue 8 (Stoner Doom)

September 13, 2019 Noob Heavy admin

I’ve covered a lot of stoner doom on here, but the genre manages to keep throwing new approaches at me, or new trends in artwork or production. There’s always a fresh take around the corner if you know where to look. Ocultum has a lofi approach to their music that I find really intriguing, with vocals more suited to raw black metal than doom metal. It’s oddly endearing and prevents it from going the same stale route as many other bands currently are, with the wide Mastodon/Gojira vocal styling. There’s something different here, it’s dark and anti marketing in its presence. […]

2018 albums

Tape Review: Sumeru – Summon Destroyer 8 (Doom Metal)

September 13, 2019 Noob Heavy admin

Sumeru are a Australian and they play some serious stoner metal with a lot of variety, It can be doomy, and it can also be progressive. The music, production and presentation is top notch. This tape is quite alluring thanks to the cover art by Paolo Girardi who I covered recently for his artwork on Abominate (2019) by Firespawn. I always enjoy being able to collect cassettes from good bands who also use good artists, hell it’s practically the premise for my collection. The band’s name is probably a reference to Mount Meru which “is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes”. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Gurt – Bongs Of Praise 7 (Stoner Doom)

September 7, 2019 Noob Heavy admin

Gurt are back, a sludgy UK band I’ve posted on IG in the past for their wonderful album covers, something they’ve kept consistent. Presentation is an important thing to Gurt and we are all rewarded for this. They have a unique style that’s difficult to pin down with elements varying between doom metal, death rock and punk and just a lot. They are a lot. Bongs Of Praise in particular is a weed fuelled doom/sludge album that will be a sure hit for stoner doom fans. […]

2019 Albums

Album Review: Swallow The Sun – When A Shadow Is Forced Into Light 9.5 (Doom Metal)

July 17, 2019 Noob Heavy admin

Four years after the release of their magnum opus Songs from the North, a triple album introduced in 2015, and after the tragic demise of Aleah Starbridge (the front man Juha Raivio’s life partner and Trees of Eternity’s lead vocalist) in 2016, the Finnish death-doom giants have returned with an album which leaves no heart untouched. A short while ago, late 2018, a single album was put forward which best depicted the dark depths of their sorrow: Lumina Aurea, a heart- wrenching blend of black and funeral doom with dashes of folk created by Einar Selvik of Wardruna. […]