#stonerdoommetal — Public Fediverse posts

In his quest to write some unique doom metal, Jamie Kobić dug deep into his own Bosnian heritage to draw on the traditional folk music called Sevdah. This musical tradition, with its slower tempo and melancholic tone, fits in perfectly with doom. Often, songs contain lyrical content about love and longing. My own research into Sevdah, including watching performances on YouTube, suggests it’s a more vocal-centric style. However, it allows for a mix of instruments, and Kobić cites Sevdah’s “expressive chord progressions” as one of his desires to incorporate the style into his compositions. Having only a 2024 split with his other band, Gavran, to its credit, Kobić releases The Forever Silent as the debut album for his new vision for doom, Svjetlost. Does the mix of Sevdah with the heavy reverb of stoner doom succeed?

Opener “Above the Mountains” lays down the foundation with thick stoner riffs and a near-funeral pace, giving the impression this will be an epic á la Sleep’s Dopesmoker. Yet Svjetlost aren’t just stoner doom, also incorporating Neurosis-style flourishes including arpeggios and feedback to layer on the atmosphere. On rare occasions, Kobić jumps into the higher-energy stoner riffs of High on Fire (“Between the Peaks”), but for the most part this is a slow, mellow record. The stoner riffs don’t really sound all that distinct from those of your typical stoner metal outfits, but there’s a satisfaction in the contrast between the louder, reverb-laden portions and the gentler sections. “The Golden Lilies” illustrates this, with some melancholic melodies strummed softly for a few minutes before Svjetlost breaks into the fuzzier, heavier side in a satisfying transition.

Kobić’s mellow approach to the vocals often means they play second fiddle to the instruments, and often he’s so quiet that he’s barely distinguishable from background noises. His gentle voice fits the style well, and he hits melancholic notes that seem in line with the Sevdah tradition. His melodic lilt serves as the emotional core, especially during passages on “The Golden Lilies” and “Between the Peaks.” Other times his voice rises barely above a whisper, and others yet he takes on a hypnotic chanting cadence. “Between the Peaks” is the only time he swaps out the cleans for something harsher, the agonized shouts of someone who can no longer contain his sorrows. Kobić’s voice is distinctive, yet it’s hardly dominant. Lengthy passages go by without hearing him, and when we do, he’s often reluctant to cede ground to his instruments, instead becoming one with the music.

Svjetlost sometimes feels adrift without any sense of direction. Sure, the switches in direction, tone, and tempo help alleviate the song lengths—each ranging from 13 to 16 minutes—yet the problem is that passages ramble on far longer than necessary without much variation in riffs or progressions. Kobić does demonstrate the ability to write compelling passages of music. “Above the Mountain” starts off strong, while “The Golden Lilies” contains moments of poignancy, and “Between the Peaks” mixes things up with its energetic and fun start. Yet as good as some of these individual passages are, the problem is that the length of each song demands more compelling material in the moments between, and The Forever Silent doesn’t always deliver, often lingering on repetitive passages that feel like they last, well, forever. Even worse, Svjetlost includes occasional moments of a high-pitched, whiny screech of feedback to snap your wandering attention back to the music—only to make you want to turn it off.

While the mix of Sevdah and stoner doom isn’t bad by any stretch, it’s also not particularly distinctive. Perhaps you can hear it in the vocals or maybe in those oft-repeated chord progressions, but for those unaware of this influence, The Forever Silent doesn’t sound all that different from your usual sludge/stoner doom outfit. Yet there’s no denying Svjetlost effectively weave a gentle melancholy into the music, heard in Kobić’s plaintive singing, in the arpeggios and the soft tempo. There’s a pleasure to be had in spending time with The Forever Silent for those who enjoy mellower stoner doom. Spending 55 minutes with this behemoth may be a tougher sell for anyone else.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Shadow of Sorrow Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: July 24th 2026

#nowplaying #Windhand #stonerdoommetal
#nightshift
https://youtu.be/-NrhTbEPS6c?si=8iNFCINWVOauEbrh

Skogskult – Skogskult Review

By Grin Reaper

Known for cultivating legendary acts such as Cult of Luna, Meshuggah, and Refused, Umeå, Sweden, sows fertile ground for seminal rock and metal bands.1 Formed in 2022, Skogskult joins their compatriots with a self-titled debut of grimy stoner doom in hand. From Swedish, Skogskult translates to ‘forest cult,’ and with roots firmly planted in scuzzy soil, this fey foursome drinks deeply from the wells of Acid King, Monolord, and Black Sabbath. Skogskult conjures six tracks that pull from Scandinavian mythology and the arcane to warn of dark days getting darker,2 setting a grim and eldritch tone from the outset. So come, friend, and take my hand. Let us walk into these woods together and uncover what mysteries lurk within.

Skogskult studied their forebears closely, as anyone who blindly tangles with Skogskult won’t need long to guess its genre. Many moments are saturated with indica atmospherics thick enough to induce contact highs. Hypnotic plods (“Lyktans Låga”), mid-paced gallops (“Pakten”), and the occasional stirring solo (“Snöblind”) furnish an assortment of backdrops and give individual songs enough character to prevent them from blurring together despite the pervasive gloomy fuzz. Cutting through said fuzz is vocalist Simon Rosengrim, who pierces the dense haze with tempestuous conviction, antithetical to the indolent trappings of stereotypical stoner doom. All told, Skogskult begets a familiar soundscape even casual fans of the genre will at once recognize, molding a unique personality alongside influences and reference points.

Skogskult’s merger of buzzing heft and raw emotion concocts powerful moments across their debut. Opening duo “Lyktans Låga” and “Turs” conform to genre conventions, grooving with ponderous mass as Samuel Nordström and Albin Kroon lumber along on guitar and bass. In fact, most of Skogskult is blanketed in wool, though “Sol” acts as a crucial change-of-pace, offering reverb-drenched strums and echoey vox that recall Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan.” Central tracks “Jag Ger Mig Av” and “Pakten” embolden Skogskult with lively frills, such as the stark baritone vocals midway through the former and the catchy-as-hell 90s post-grunge lilt of the latter. Pulling away from direct inspirations allows Skogskult to forge an identity all their own. In a genre where bands closely adhere to stoner doom’s core sound, it’s not a coincidence that Skogskult’s best moments occur when the album extends past them. In particular, Rosengrim’s performance electrifies when grit and pathos dial to eleven. His singing forgoes the comparatively mellow rhythms and measured deliveries associated with Sleep, Dopelord, and others, instead penetrating stoner doom’s miasma with immediate and undeniable passion. While this ingredient sets Skogskult apart from other outfits, it’s not quite enough to overcome Skogskult’s deficiencies.

Though many of Skogskult’s songwriting tendrils take root, some flounder for purchase. The juxtaposition of urgent vocals and hypnotizing grooves spellbind in a broad sense, but focusing just on the instrumentation reveals a lack of consistency over the entire album. Though flush with talent, Skogskult’s penchant for repeating riffs too often over six to seven minutes erodes some of its charm, which is further exacerbated over repeated listens. Bluesy solos and accelerated tempos afford welcome breaks, but more variety through the refrains would invigorate Skogskult’s musical backbone; without more riff diversity, shrinking song lengths could help remedy the repetition. Still, Skogskult boasts plenty of successes, as well. The production is a triumph, with each instrument (and vocals) afforded ample space in the mix. The only understated element is drummer Alexander Söderlund, who supports the band ably within a restrained pocket. Also, Skogskult deftly constructs tension throughout entire songs. Even if each track could lose thirty to sixty seconds, every payoff satisfies through unhurried climaxes and hints at a higher ceiling for the band’s songcraft.

Skogskult is a young band brimming with potential. They guide listeners through the murky fog of stoner doom that cloaks the forest they inhabit, shining a light on the path while allowing listeners to glimpse the dangers just off of it. Skogskult isn’t perfect, but Skogskult impresses with accessible retrofuzz, standout highlights, and a powerhouse vocalist. If they can refine the songwriting approach for their sophomore album while preserving what makes this one special, our next trip through the cult’s forest might just convert us.

Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Bonebag Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: December 5th, 2025

#2025 #30 #AcidKing #BlackSabbath #BonebagRecords #CultOfLuna #Dec25 #DoomMetal #Dopelord #Meshuggah #Monolord #Naglfar #NocturnalRites #Persuader #Refused #Review #Reviews #SelfTitled #Skogskult #Sleep #StonerDoom #StonerDoomMetal #StonerMetal #SwedishMetal

Howling Giant – Crucible & Ruin Review

Howling Giant occupies such an odd place within its sce…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Music #2025 #4.0 #AllThemWitches #AmericanMetal #Anciients #Baroness #Crucible&Ruin #CryoftheAfflicted #Entertainment #Helmet #HighonFire #HowlingGiant #Intronaut #MagneticEyeRecords #Mastodon #Oct25 #psychedelicrock #review #reviews #SergeantThunderhoof #StonerDoomMetal #StonerMetal #StonerRock #Torche
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/273055/

Howling Giant – Crucible & Ruin Review

By Dear Hollow

Howling Giant occupies such an odd place within its scene. The Nashville collective is stoner metal and psych rock to the core in an energetic way that recalls the down-and-dirty acts like High on Fire or Mastodon, but layers of melody and creative chord usage feel progressive a la Intronaut or Baroness and the triple vocal harmonies are catchy yet evasive, not unlike Torche or Helmet. They also don’t take things too seriously, with a solid sense of humor and a relatable relationship with fans to bring their formidable technical skill to earth.1 Now a release removed from the formidable debut full-length The Space Between Stars and even more from the Black Hole Space Wizard suite, Howling Giant proves their worth once more.

To address the elephant in the room, Glass Future saw Howling Giant’s progressive tendencies flying their freak flag too much. While attempting to keep the stoner murk and reconcile it with aptly crystalline melody, the band lost what is so great about them: solid songwriting. It’s completely contrary to what gave them the edge over genre mates Sergeant Thunderhoof in their dueling split – their head-first dabbling in more elusive chord progressions felt like a more stoner-inclined dime-store version of Intronaut’s Habitual Levitations. This is what makes third full-length Crucible & Ruin so refreshing:2 it’s everything you love about the Nashville now-quartet – and more. The template of killer riffs, soaring choruses, searing solos, and stoner haze is amplified by new guitarist/synth player Adrian Zambrano – adding layers and textures to Howling Giant’s already winning formula.

Howling Giant feels reinvigorated with Crucible & Ruin. Songwriting prowess on full display, the kitchen sink of riff, solo, melody, and catchiness has never looked so clean. While some remnants of Glass Future hang around in more evasive chord structures and emphasis on melody (instrumental “Lesser Gods”), the tracks shift from the anthemic to the kickass, rounded out by the understated Helmet-esque triple-vocal attack – a potentially divisive element of Howling Giant’s sound –3 and that warm stoner haze. Chunky riffs dominate and add a jolt of energy (“Hunter’s Mark,” “Beholder I: Downfall”), while anthemic choruses and transcendent chord progressions take listeners to a psychedelic heaven (“Archon,” “Archivist”). Southern fried bluesy vibes a la All Them Witches also grace the vibe with a backwoods atmosphere (“Beholder II: Labyrinth,” “Melchor’s Bones”), paying homage to their home state of Tennessee. All assets culminate in the two parts of “Beholder,” the Phrygian key giving them a more epic and grandiose feel.

With the addition of Zambrano, Howling Giant has never felt so fleshed out. Compared to the flashy vocals and melodies of Sergeant Thunderhoof, Howling Giant has always been a meat-and-potatoes type of band, but Crucible & Ruin finds the band building upon this template using more versatility in its musical arsenal. Layers of melodic overlays grace rhythmic punch a purpose and intensity (“Canyons,” “Scythe and Scepter”), the tasteful balance between the melodic and the skronky add intrigue and madness (“Hunter’s Mark,” “Archon,” “Beholder I: Downfall”), and ethereal atmosphere is built atop and duels with more downtuned riffs and bass (“Lesser Gods,” “Archivist,” “Beholder II: Labyrinth”). The dueling guitars add a much-needed and ridiculously tantalizing dimension that takes Howling Giant’s already solid sound to new heights.

Howling Giant’s vocal approach of hyper harmonies will remain a divisive element, the central riff and spoken word of “Melchor’s Bones” can get a bit repetitive, and instrumental “Lesser Gods” is a bit questionable, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that it’s the band’s best album to date. Crucible & Ruin distills everything that makes Howling Giant great and beefs it up, weaponizing their already formidable songwriting with Zambrano’s melodic and textural synth and fretwork. Featuring riffs upon riffs with complex songwriting that doesn’t fly over listeners’ heads, relatable vocals that don’t lose their punch, and new guitar work that takes the band to new heights, across a forty-eight-minute runtime that zips by, it’s hard not to bob your head. While comparisons to Mastodon, Baroness, and Anciients are fair, Howling Giant is its own beast, an intersection of stoner haze, riffy intensity, and melodic taste. Crucible & Ruin caught me by surprise in the best way, and is sure to appear at year-end.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Magnetic Eye Records
Websites: howlinggiant.bandcamp.com | howlinggiant.com | facebook.com/howlinggiant
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

Show 3 footnotes

1. Even their artwork was created by guitarist/vocalist Tom Polzine’s mother, Susan M. Davies, who has contributed artwork in the past. ↩
2. Fourth full-length if you count Black Hole Space Wizard, Part 2 in its qualifying length. ↩
3. Their ubiquitous harmonies remind me of the post-hardcore band Cry of the Afflicted. ↩

#2025 #40 #AllThemWitches #AmericanMetal #Anciients #Baroness #CrucibleRuin #CryOfTheAfflicted #Helmet #HighOnFire #HowlingGiant #Intronaut #MagneticEyeRecords #Mastodon #Oct25 #PsychedelicRock #Review #Reviews #SergeantThunderhoof #StonerDoomMetal #StonerMetal #StonerRock #Torche

My review of Collapsed Vein's incredible Pain Communion.

An excerpt:

"The release pack describes Pain Communion as a “harrowing exploration of mortality, religious decay, and isolation” and it certainly feels no stone is left unturned in that endeavour when reaching ‘Overwhelmed With Bereavement’; a track so vibrant it feels independent of any audio...

#doommetal #deathmetal #stonerdoommetal #heavymetal #rock #music #newmusic #newmusicfriday #musicreview #review

https://npryan.com/2025/06/06/collapsed-vein-pain-communion/

¡Nuevas noticias de música!
La banda Crystal Spiders anuncia su nuevo álbum, Metanoia,
que se lanzará el 23 de mayo a través de Ripple Music.
Con siete temas poderosos, este álbum promete ser
un viaje transformador.
#StonerDoomMetal #CrystalSpiders #MúsicaNueva #Música #Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTMq_E7H0Bc
https://noticieromusical.com/crystal-spiders-anuncia-nuevo-album

The Flight of Sleipnir – Nature’s Cadence Review

By Maddog

The Flight of Sleipnir’s 2021 opus Eventide made ripples in the underground and grabbed my attention. The album blended stoner doom, acoustic folk, and post-metal, hardly groundbreaking elements. But Eventide distinguished itself by assembling them into a cohesive, beautiful whole, albeit one that hasn’t stuck with me. While we haven’t covered The Flight of Sleipnir since 2014’s V., I nabbed Nature’s Cadence as soon as I could, hoping it could catapult the band from goodness to greatness. Either way, I knew it’d be a breath of fresh air, and its gorgeous cover art was irresistible. Is Nature’s Cadence as memorable and moving as I hoped, or merely an interesting specimen?

While Nature’s Cadence doesn’t mimic any other band, it draws from a wide range of influences. The Flight of Sleipnir’s backbone consists of mid-paced stoner doom riffs wrought from simple melodies. These ideas branch in countless directions. At times, the guitarists Jeremy Winters and Clayton Cushman augment these stoner riffs with soaring melodies reminiscent of Elder. Other sections marry minimalist doom with a hypnotic post-rock aesthetic that resembles Amenra (“Vingthor”). Meanwhile, The Flight of Sleipnir infuses every track with folk elements that feel distinctively American. Placid acoustic guitar parts abound, while Cushman’s pedal steel adds subdued beauty. Accordingly, the vocals alternate between droning cleans and blackened screams. Even this laundry list doesn’t do justice to Nature’s Cadence’s diverse sound; the closer “Wanderer” alone deserves a treatise on its blend of foreboding spaghetti Western melodies, Maiden-esque guitar harmonies, and otherworldly Bergtatt escapades. Despite its variety, Nature’s Cadence never flaunts its uniqueness as a gimmick and never leaves any element underdeveloped.

Nature’s Cadence excels in its folky beauty, with mixed success in its heavier moments. The acoustic track “The Woodsman” showcases this best, gripping me through its narrative flow and its somber melodies. Clean sections of other songs hit just as hard; the opener “North” marries sparse Agalloch strumming with guitar leads that evoke David Gilmour on downers. Conversely, the doomy segments sometimes lose me. Some of The Flight of Sleipnir’s stoner riffs are too simplistic to make a mark (“Madness”), while others start strong but outlast my attention (“Vingthor”). As a result, Nature’s Cadence’s climaxes feel less explosive than they should. Still, the album’s redeeming moments make it hard to complain. The Flight of Sleipnir isn’t the next Kyuss, but the creative riffs and soaring leads of “North” are a stark reminder of their potential.

Nature’s Cadence’s greatest strength is how neatly it welds its pieces together. The seam between the album’s metal bangers and its serene folk elements is invisible. This is partly a result of melodic continuity, such as when “North” follows up a sparse acoustic passage with a doom rendition of the same melodies. Winters and Cushman’s guitar harmonies allow them to both mirror each other and establish striking contrasts, most notably on the spectacular “Wanderer.” Meanwhile, Dave Borrusch’s confident bass performance elevates Nature’s Cadence throughout both its peaks and its valleys. By laying down lead melodies during calmer moments (“The Woodsman”), enriching songs through subtle variations (“North”), and adding depth even with simple backing (“Vingthor”), the bass helps maintain continuity through the album’s stylistic about-faces. While the record’s longer tracks would benefit from more cohesion between different sections, The Flight of Sleipnir’s songwriting is impressive. Armed with a wide range of ideas and a dogged insistence on combining them thoughtfully, Nature’s Cadence stands out without sticking out.

Nature’s Cadence is a meditative experience that lives up to its ambitious title. On paper, folky stoner post-doom sounds like a prospective disaster. But The Flight of Sleipnir shines by placing fluidity first, resulting in a tight 39-minute record that does justice to its influences without sounding like a split. Punchier riffs would help the album hit harder during its heftiest moments. As it stands, while Nature’s Cadence won’t top my 2024 list, it’s a unique and rewarding listen for music fans of every ilk.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Eisenwald
Websites: theflightofsleipnir.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/theflightofsleipnir
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Agalloch #Amenra #AmericanMetal #Doom #DoomMetal #Eisenwald #Elder #Folk #FolkMetal #IronMaiden #Kyuss #NatureSCadence #PinkFloyd #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Stoner #StonerDoom #StonerDoomMetal #StonerMetal #TheFlightOfSleipnir #Ulver

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Questing Beast – Birth

By Dolphin Whisperer

“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.”

In this year of 2024, artists on the rise have an untold treasure of heavy metal history and knowledge from which they may conjure works of the distorted and riffy kind. That’s how young acts like Questing Beast can come across with their self-imposed “power doom” tag without sounding too much like bearers of the odd torch who came before like Memory Garden or Morgana Lefay. Rather, Birth wears shades of power through vocalist Joe Harris, whose trained vibrato runs equal parts dramatic and powerful while still finding room to switch to a sorrowful tone. And the doom comes out to play through traditional lurching riffs, dry stoner drives, and extended harmonic melodies. But with Elder-like (or maybe a little more Lyle Mays to these ears) glistening interludes and shifting tempo structures, is this also prog? My oh my, what a journey Questing Beast has set forth for our hard-to-please Rodeö crew. But I think it’s a beast they can wrangle, at least this time around. – Dolphin Whisperer

Questing Beast // Birth [June 14th, 2024]

Kenstrosity: I am not known for being particularly picky when it comes to metal in general. However, for one reason or another, I tend to be more selective about the tried and trve ways ov heavy metal. Regardless of pedigree or outside hybridizations, when I see the “heavy metal” tag, I exclaim with much prejudice, “we’ll see about that!” Enter New Hampshire’s proggy heavy metal quintet Questing Beast and their debut full-length, appropriately named Birth. Unexpectedly crunchy grooves and frankly beautiful melodies characterize the majority portion of these pieces (“At Crater’s Edge,” “Growth,” “Titan’s Grip”). But, it’s the more consistent presence of palpable grit in the instrumentation, as companion to the smooth and crystalline pipes at the mic, which makes the magic of the record’s best moments (“The Comet’s Tale,” Beneath Red Leaves,” “Corruption,” “Call of the North”). Using this uncommonly well-realized formula as the basis for strong storytelling and musical composition, Questing Beast handily carve out a niche for themselves in the metalverse that makes the most out of their heavy metal heritage without trying to play strict homage to it. While many of their songs could use a bit more immediacy and the vocalist’s falsetto a bit more stable power, Questing Beast make a compelling case for themselves on their first try. Let’s see if they can follow through on album two! 3.0/5.0

Cherd: On paper, Questing Beast looks like a textbook case of multiple personality disorder. They refer to themselves as “power doom,” but their sound is a circus tent pitched over three rings of power metal, classic doom, traditional/epic heavy metal and progressive metal. And that’s not all, folks. “Corruption” includes the above PLUS a healthy dose of djenty deathcore. Remarkably, the band mostly pulls it all off. Their debut full-length Birth is best when it leans into the older styles of metal. “Titan’s Grip” is a fine epic heavy metal tune updated for contemporary ears. Meanwhile, “At Crater’s Edge” sees them sounding like a bouncier Candlemass. This comparison is especially apt because of classically trained vocalist Joe Harris, who hews closer to Johan Längqvist than to Messiah Marcolin. Harris’ powerful pipes and smooth-like-butter timbre, along with the clearly talented instrumentalists in this quintet, keep Questing Beast’s sound from descending into chaos. Things do go a bit soft in the middle of the record from a songwriting standpoint, but all the material before the first instrumental and after the second one is eyebrow-raising, invigorating stuff. 3.0/5.0

Itchymenace: Beast indeed! This album has a lot going on. There are elements of thrash, prog, death, classic metal and even some jazz. Unfortunately, this ambitious hodgepodge never coalesced in a way that I found compelling or enjoyable. Birth’s primary fault is a lack of a common thread or a narrative that ties it all together. I felt pulled in numerous directions, questing for a voice that would guide me through the disparate tracks. Instead, I got a lot of operatic wailing that never seemed to find its place within the music. Where bands like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest use this style effectively to balance the sonic frequencies across the mix, it feels like Questing Beast stole a vocal track from one album and tried to make it fit over another. I don’t know if it’s a shortcoming in the production, the songwriting, the performance or all three. Much of the lyrical content doesn’t help either. The call and response during “At Crater’s Edge” was about as silly as it gets without being Anvil. Musically, I can appreciate what the band is trying to do. The guitars are crunchy with a classic harmonic metal sound that I love. There are some good riffs and competent playing but that is not enough to make me want to put it on again. Hopefully there is life after-Birth. I wish I could give this a better score. 2.0/5.0

Why unicorn a band when they have their own mythical beast icon?

Mystikus Hugebeard: Birth is a righteous debut by a brand-new band that is already swinging for the fences. This album is, upon reflection, even grander than perhaps it might feel in the moment as you listen to it. During a typical spin, my focus is easily held by the crunchy, exciting riffs that dominate the tracklist, from the slower doom that opens “The Comet’s Tail,” through the energetic classic-metal-tinged guitars in “Beneath Red Leaves,” to the unstoppable pounding riffs of “Call of the North.” But the larger scale of Birth really creeps up on you. Complex rhythms (“Corruption”) and unconventional melodies (“Growth”) speak to Questing Beast’s admirable ambition, and they have the talent to pull off these progressive elements. It’s the bodacious, borderline campy vocals, rather, that make Birth feel epic and they cement the album’s lasting appeal for me. They’re full of righteous but tastefully applied vibrato, and the singer has the endearing timbre of an unrefined but uber-talented vocalist giving 110% that’s just hard to find these days. Some elements do betray Questing Beast’s green-ness in a more harmful way, though. Birth is crying out for some killer guitar solos to punctuate the riffs and further heighten the scale, but the few we get are underwhelming and come across as a bit sloppy, with the exception of “Beneath Red Leaves.” Furthermore, I think the drums can sound a little too sharp and could use a less distracting mix. Despite that, the broad strokes of Birth are a big success for me. Birth is the kind of hidden gem that’s exciting to discover, and leaves me with a big, satisfied grin on my face. 3.0/5.0

#2024 #AmericanMetal #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo2024 #Birth #Candlemass #DoomMetal #Elder #IndependentRelease #IronMaiden #JudasPriest #Jun24 #LyleMays #MemoryGarden #MorganaLefay #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDoomMetal #ProgressiveMetal #QuestingBeast #SelfRelease #StonerDoomMetal

Thousand Limbs – The Aurochs Review

By Dear Hollow

If any metal style has the right to be instrumental, it’s a three-way tie between djent, drone, and post-metal – and I’m guessing you’re cringing right now. While the former two are dragged across oft-unwilling ears in masturbatory guitar wizardry and booty-thick minimalist sprawls, respectively, post-metal has always felt a bit more exploratory and dynamic. Acts like Tempel and Russian Circles have crafted landscapes out of massive riffs and complex compositions, and New Zealand’s Thousand Limbs takes a similar approach with debut full-length The Aurochs. Big riffs and visceral chord progressions guide, and we are on this journey with them.

The Aurochs takes influence from the enigmatic Chinese Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, illustrations and parables from twelfth-century Zen master Kakuan Shion. Thousand Limbs’ individual ten tracks reflect each of the illustrations and their attached poetic verses respectively, through a sonic exploration of the achievement of awakening. While post-metal is clear in Isis-esque off-kilter rhythms, curious melodicisms, and lurching patterns alongside Russian Circles awe-inducing hugeness, other influences of YOB, Bongripper, and Earth also pervade. Orange haze, vintage distortion, and driving baritone riffs add a certain aggression and twist.

Beginning with “A Blessed Life to Suffer,” you’re graced with post-metal and doom’s most endearing quality: patience. Thousand Limbs is content letting its riffs grow and sprawl across its mammoth nearly hour-long runtime. Tracks like “Form,” “Fall of Body and Mind,” and closer “A Boundless Heart” exchange big sprawls, haunting leads, and fuzzy noodles seamlessly in painting enlightened pictures with broad yet gentle strokes, while the interludes “Only His Shadow,” “Evening Haze,” and “Beneath Soil and Stone” embrace the darker melodies that momentarily cut through the murk. Centerpieces “The Aurochs” and “The Aurochs – Aligned” are the best tracks here, exemplifying a two-part exploration of “Seizing the Ox” and “Taming the Ox.” First half “The Aurochs” is vicious and driving, complete with dissonant dueling arpeggios, while the second’s “Aligned” interpretation is more sunny and optimistic stoner-heavy bass-forward intertwined rhythms feel like some achievement of peace. Thousand Limbs’ careful control of its songwriting and motifs is consistently illustrated throughout, transitions between dissonance, darker minor moods, sunny melody, and brighter major chords remarkably smooth.

The fusion of post-metal and vintage doom is an intriguing premise, but Thousand Limbs suffers from its murk. Stoner doom in particular is aligned in minimalist compositions, and while guitars attempt to intertwine and compensate for The Aurochs’ voiceless trudge, it takes multiple listens to discern between the layers – especially when they exist in the same register. All the layered riffs and leads that guide “A Dim Light to Guide,” “Form,” and “A Boundless Heart” all swirl with no particular conclusion, only letting random bouts of squealing feedback cut through the bog. In this way, the careful and precise nature of post-metal is incompatible with the fuzzy wrecking ball of stoner doom, and Thousand Limbs shoots itself in the foot with its stoner doom swampy mix. Even beyond it, while the album structure favors their placement as album climax, “The Aurochs” and “The Aurochs – Aligned” are the undisputed best tracks here, putting all others in their shadow.

To their credit, Thousand Limbs has created a post-metal album that is evocative, smartly composed, and achieving a clear purpose. The problem is that The Aurochs makes no case convincing stoner doom and post-metal naysayers that it’s the best thing since Isis or Bongripper. Unless you’re prepared to analyze the hell out of it for damn near an hour, fighting uphill against a production value of dominating fuzz and denied vocals, The Aurochs is a chore. Thousand Limbs carries on the tried-and-true tradition of instrumental post-metal in a unique fusion that embraces the hallmarks of classic doom and stoner sensibilities in a tangible and realized theme. But like the walk towards enlightenment, you’ve got to struggle for it.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: thousandlimbs.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thousandlimbsnz
Releases Worldwide: July 19th, 2024

#25 #2024 #Bongripper #DoomMetal #Earth #Jul24 #NewZealandMetal #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #RussianCircles #SelfRelease #StonerDoomMetal #Tempel #TheAurochs #ThousandLimbs #YOB

If your record is released on Ufobanana records, than you already have my attention. If the music is good, I'll tell others about it.

Belgian based band Absynth brings a good mix of #stonermetal and #doommetal to the table. The sound is low and slow, takes the time to build up and releases a big bal of base and fuzz upon your ears. But only after carefull songcrafting.

Give 'em a spin! #metal #doom #stoner #StonerDoomMetal

https://songwhip.com/absynth/bicolor-tantra

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalSucks
Watch Orange Goblin React to Your Fan Covers
Their new album Science, Not Fiction will be released on July 19.

https://www.metalsucks.net/2024/06/13/watch-orange-goblin-react-to-your-fan-covers/

#OrangeGoblin #HeavyRiffs #StonerDoomMetal

Temple of the Fuzz Witch – Apotheosis Review

By Dear Hollow

There’s perhaps no better moniker that these Detroit natives could have chosen. Temple of the Fuzz Witch embodies a green fuzz that saturates all the negative spaces, tinged with a ritualistic and sinister occult edge. Apotheosis embodies a culmination, a godlike apex as the name suggests, of the act’s history, megaton riffage greeting dark atmospheres and a thick veil of smoke, although their third full-length finds the trio embracing a distinctly vicious edge. Does Apotheosis make Temple of the Fuzz Witch the divine success to which they strive?

The act’s history is one associated with Sleep worship. Fuzzy riffs, croons thick with weed, and mammoth drums did little to distinguish from the masses, and their moniker became a comical reflection of the music contained within. Both Temple of the Fuzz Witch’s 2017 self-titled debut and 2020 follow-up Red Tide followed this Black Sabbath but haze-filled, orange amp- and MountainKing Megalith-fueled weight. This is where Apotheosis succeeds: acknowledging the past while moving forward. While the weight and guitar tone is unmistakably stoner doom, you’ll find more in common with older Yatra or Thou’s storied catalog than the High on Fires and Electric Wizards of the world. Ultimately, this sets Temple of the Fuzz Witch a cut above many, as its fusion of devastating riffage and blackened bleakness hits the sweet spot.

Simplicity is the name of the game here, so if it’s riffs you want, Apotheosis will mightily satisfy, alongside an absolutely mammoth production that emphasizes them. Tracks like opener “A Call to Prey,” “Nephilim,” and “Bow Down” are oozing with charisma and swagger in each movement, Temple of the Fuzz Witch’s relatively simple structures benefiting from a southern-fried bluesy drawl. Vocals are used in perhaps a jarring way, as the blackened snarl of vocalist Noah Bruner feels nearly sermonic, while his Kurt Cobain-esque drawling cleans offer a tired apathy in tracks like “Wight” and “Nephilim.” There’s just enough experimentation to keep things from drowning in the indicia, with tracks like “Wight,” “Raze,” and “Apostate” embracing a more simmering approach that revels in the darkness, while the slow-burning crescendo of “Sanguine” pays off in a satisfying punky climax, the thrash-induced closing passage of “Nephilim” serves as a welcome jolt of energy, and the clean leads in “Cursed” offer a heart rarely seen. As aforementioned, Temple of the Fuzz Witch utilizes a “Stoner Doom for Dummies” guitar tone that feels nearly perfect in its utter fuzz saturation of all spaces in Apotheosis, even compared to the trio’s past offerings.

The weaknesses of Apotheosis are often the other side of what makes it so good. For instance, while a simple structure benefits “A Call to Prey,” excessive repetition of the same riff dooms “Cursed;” clean vocals add to “Bow Down” but end up taking away momentum from “Raze.” “Raze” also raises an odd conundrum, as it eventually gains its speed, but Temple of the Fuzz Witch’s suddenly disharmonic melodic template is repeated in its following two tracks: the ritualistic “Apostate” and dense doom closer “Ashes.” While certainly well executed, this sudden falloff in riffage for slow-burning menace is jarring, and recalls more the sludge stylings of Thou. Tempos largely remain mid-tempo, with injections of speed scattered throughout, which make these tracks, as well as “Sanguine,” stick out. The inclusion of black metal vocals and atmosphere is effective, but is nothing new, as acts like Yatra, Mizmor, and Cobalt have fused dense doom with second-wave stylings.

Overall, Temple of the Fuzz Witch hits the sweet spot of megaton riffs, blackened snarls, and just enough experimentation to keep things interesting. It does not promise to be the newest and best, but Apotheosis manages to get your head bobbing in the right spots and freeze your soul with a blast of second-wave. While it can be jarring here and there in some wobbly songwriting or awkward song placement, there’s only one track (“Cursed”) that visibly detracts from the whole. As such, while Temple of the Fuzz Witch may not do much to challenge the scene and their best is still before them, Apotheosis occupies a neat spot between kickassery and frigidity that will satisfy.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Ripple Music
Websites: templeofthefuzzwitch.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/TotFW
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024

#2024 #30 #AmericanMetal #Apotheosis #Apr24 #BlackMetal #BlackSabbath #BlackenedDoomMetal #Cobalt #ElectricWizard #HighOnFire #Mizmor #Review #Reviews #RippleMusic #Sleep #StonerDoomMetal #TempleOfTheFuzzWitch #Thou #Yatra

Altar of Betelgeuze – Echoes Review

By Dear Hollow

My experience in the doomier side of death metal is skewed. While many of the olde drank deep of the greats in the canon of Incantation, Asphyx, or diSEMBOWELMENT, my first experiences in the low and slow were Saturnus, Swallow the Sun, and Evoken’s more contemporary fare.1 One classic album that did speak to me in hushed whispers through its grimy and thickly menacing approach to death metal was Winter’s sole 1990 LP Into Darkness. A similar harbinger of the sound like many of the above, it relied more on death metal than doom, utilizing the latter only to bring out the sickness with each movement. Finland’s Altar of Betelgeuze utilizes this classic template of riff-first fed headfirst into the doom machine, but they do so by adding a slight green fuzz to their proceedings.

Echoes is the quartet’s third full-length since the act’s conception in 2010. While featuring the armaments and cavernous bellows of Incantation or Winter, it also is armed with a stoner doom fuzz and vocal influence from Candlemass. However, you can be sure that the “married iguana” haze does not subtract from Altar of Betelgeuze’s intention of crushing your skull in. Each of Echoes’ tracks features thick and punishing riffs with charismatic death metal vocal performances, with a fuzzy sprawl reminiscent of acts like Weedeater and Om. Ultimately, Echoes is by no means a genre-defining or challenging album, but it finds Altar of Betelgeuze tapping into earthmoving heaviness.

There are no frills on Echoes – no fancy-ass intros, ambient interludes, or atmospheric pretense. Altar of Betelgeuze wastes no time hitting you with a skull-crushing riff in opener “On the Verge,” a pummeling affair of mammoth echoing drums, thick riffs with a gritty undertone, and hellish bellows commanding the movements. This punishment continues in “Embrace the Flames,” a more upbeat precipice of death metal. “Conclusion” offers a more crawling and sprawling stoner approach, dwelling in a subtle plucking style that capitalizes on the riff – a torch that “A Reflection” carries on with more fuzzy riffs and drawling leads. The title track is the album climax, a patient nine-minute odyssey that never lets up on its density, its stoner influence weaponized to saturate every negative space. Altar of Betelgeuze’s no-frills approach, combined with its mammoth production unafraid of grit or grime, makes for Echoes to be a force to be reckoned with.

Two tracks that call the album into question are not due to lack of quality, but simply their placement, namely alongside the highlight “Echoes.” Case in point, “Salvation” is by no means a poor track, but its jarring stoner-doom focus and Candlemass-esque barked vocals with a stark lack of death metal make its relatively toothless sound forgettable. Similarly, and more problematic, “Fading Light” must attempt to take up the mantle after “Echoes,” but its replication of the previously focused riffs pales in comparison due its sudden lack of exploratory songwriting, making its inclusion questionable. At least “Salvation” is a unique inclusion in stoner fuzz and barked vocals, while “Fading Light” feels almost entirely unnecessary. On a nitpicking level, “Conclusion” may feel underwhelming after “On the Verge,” while “A Reflection” is its weaker and more forgettable version. Although commanding, the vocals of Matias Nastolin are just a tad too loud in the mix, somewhat drowning out the riffs periodically.

Even if my perception of death/doom is skewed, I still had a great time with Echoes. Altar of Betelgeuze doesn’t pretend to be the best thing since Incantation. The trio offers a slow-motion beatdown that will get your head bobbing in a doom-centric style that doesn’t feel too slow, but rather finds the sweet spot of tempos that capitalizes upon the groove. Featuring a nice set of tracks that neatly weaponize stoner and traditional doom in ways that saturate rather than dominate, the focus is refreshingly straightforward and tastefully pummeling. Playing it close to the vest until the epic “Echoes,” Altar of Betelgeuze offers not the next chapter of doom, but a reason why people love it.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: altarofbetelgeuze.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/AoBofficial
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024

#2024 #30 #AltarOfBetelgeuze #Asphyx #Candlemass #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #diSEMBOWELMENT #DoomMetal #Echoes #Evoken #FinnishMetal #Incantation #Mar24 #Om #Review #Reviews #Saturnus #SelfRelease #StonerDoomMetal #SwallowTheSun #Weedeater #Winter

#DiscoDelGiorno e non può essere altro visto che oggi è il 4/20. E legalizzatela, stronzi.

Sottinteso: The Sciences capolavoro assoluto di disco

Sleep - Marijuanaut's Theme (da The Sciences)
https://youtu.be/FBzZC7qSBU4

#LaVoceDelCaprone #mastoradio #mastomusic #stonerdoommetal

Check out our preview of the new Rock and Metal releases coming out this week: https://buff.ly/40mxBY3 #newmusicfriday #newmusic #rock #metal #punk #deathmetal #blackmetal #stonerdoommetal #prog #progressivemetal #ghostcultmag

Check out our preview of the new Rock and Metal releases coming out this week: https://www.ghostcultmag.com/new-music-friday-3-31-23-preview/

#newmusicfriday #newmusic #rock #metal #punk #deathmetal #blackmetal #stonerdoommetal #prog #progressivemetal #ghostcultmag