Tag: doom
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Shooting Guns: dealing some heavy instrumental magic
When it comes to the metal aesthetic many bands feel they need to choose the route of texture or torture. Bands decide whether to build weapons or evoke atmospheres with their sound, and to focus on the ephemeral often means leaving a sense of visceral threat behind. After all, smoke cannot hurt us, and shadows…
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Grand Magus – Triumph and Power
When I first popped Triumph and Power, the 7th album from Swedish trio Grand Magus I was taken aback. It had been a long time since I’d listened to them and their style has changed significantly in the last decade. Back in the early ’00s all I listened to (pretty much) was considered “stoner rock/metal.”…
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Pale Divine – Cemetery Earth (reissue)
By Gruesome Greg Don’t sleep on Pale Divine. They might not be one of the first bands that comes to mind when you think American doom — I’m guilty of this as well. But whenever I’ve seen ’em play at a couple doomfests down south, they pretty much steal the show. Did I mention there’s…
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Truckfighters – Universe
By Gruesome Greg This Swedish trio is one of the hardest-working bands in stoner rock. Though it’s taken a little while longer than expected to get their fourth album out there, they’ve made up for it by touring and playing pretty much anywhere… except for Canada, that is. Universe gets right down to dishing out…
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Thou – Heathen
By Matt Hinch “Only amidst the sea of refuse shall we find enlightenment pure.” — from “Immorality Dictates” The ever-prolific Thou continue what has thus far been a stellar 2014 with Heathen. Their fourth full length and first since 2010’s Summit is simply stunning. The Louisiana doomsayers are sure to grab the rapt attention of…
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Space Mushroom Fuzz – Burning the Almanac
By Gruesome Greg Quickie, 20-minute EP from this Boston-based heavy psych outfit—now a proper power trio, apparently. The space-rock theme remains readily apparent in the four song titles, as “The Cosmic Evolution” kicks things off with some heavy fuzz-rock riffage and equally-distorted vocals. “The Bio Zones” keeps the cosmic grooves going, a nice slow burner…
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The Lion’s Daughter & Indian Blanket – A Black Sea
By Gruesome Greg Holy Nine Band Members, Batman! I’m not sure if there’s a classical term for a nine-piece band (novtet?), but that’s how many faces appear in the band photo on this album, a collaborative effort between St. Louis sludge squad The Lion’s Daughter and folksy Americana outfit Indian Blanket. No, this is not a split—it’s…
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Cokegoat – Vessel
By Gruesome Greg Truth be told, I was drawn to this Chicago sextet by their bizarre moniker, along with the promise there was doom to be found on this, their debut album. I’d say that if anything, the band’s name suggests frantic, buzz saw black metal—as opposed to a handle like Weedeater or Bongzilla, which just…
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Noothgrush/Coffins split
By Gruesome Greg Both of these bands are certainly no stranger to splits—this is Noothgrush’s 11th and the 16th(!) for Coffins. And while they’ve shared sides with the likes of Sourvein, Hooded Menace and Corrupted before, this could very well be their most crushing collab yet. Noothgrush starts us off with three tracks, beginning with “Humandemic,” a…
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Run After To – Gjinn and Djinn
By Gruesome Greg While there are plenty of “noun the verb” bands round these parts, particularly within the metalcore genre, it’s safe to say that when a band’s handle ends in a preposition, they’re probably from abroad. Such is the case of these obscure Italian doomsters, who released a pair of EPs in the 80’s and…