The Top 10 Doom Albums of 2022

We are still seeing who can take the slow burn of the world ending and 2022 offered no more hope than the previous year. We need music to match this feeling. I celebrate death, that is why I listen to doom. I mean the name of the genre says it all. If you are not down with despair, then get the fuck out of here. Ok now that that is out of the way, much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more.

 After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. You can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. I listen to five new albums a day so yes, I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Doom albums of 2022

10-Candlenass - "Sweet Evil Sun" 

It is clear these guys are still master of the genre, that does not mean they are putting out the best doom music these days as the next 9 albums will attest, their original singer Johan returns with a lower grittier tone than the more operatic bellow of Messiah Marcolin. This gives the band a heavier more modern sound. Sometimes they easily live up to their legacy and benefit when they open things up and allow Johan to take on more of a croon.  Even when they color by numbers, they get the job done better than most, but not better than all..

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom - Candlemass: "Sweet Evil Sun"

9-Mournful Congregation-The Exuviae of Gods-part 1" 

This Australian band is one of if not the best funeral doom bands. This set expectations high. I wanted a full length and got an Ep. One of song is a reworking of a song from their 1995, demo tape. Which was 27 years ago makes this for all practical purposes a new song. The first song is fourteen minutes long and the last is almost sixteen. With funeral doom it is easier to swallow since it's played at slower tempo the drone is in the hesitation. They do what they are great at I wish there was more. That is why it did not place higher. 

Abysmal Hymns: Mournful Congregation: " The Exuviae of Gods - Part I"

8-Sundowning- "In the Light of Defeat , I Cease to Exist " 

2022 was the year for atmosphere in sludge and doom, this German band meets at the crossroads of the two, there is a darker more mournful sound to the music and less of a punk rock aggression seething. The music often more minimal, under the growls that are traded off for actual singing. A beautiful album that is as sonically heavy as it is heavy metal.

Abysmal Hymns: Sundowning : "In the Light of Defeat, I Cease to Exist"

7-Famyne - "II-the Ground Below"

Candlemass pot the honorable mention slot this year, and truth be told these guys sound more like Candlemass than Candlemass did this year.  They do not dwell only on the past and care a great deal about the songs, with the help of very impressive vocal power, it all adds up to earn their place here. 

Abysmal Hymns: Famyne : "II: The Ground Below"

6-Shape of Despair - "Return to the Void" 

One of my favorite bands from one of my favorite sub - genres. They continue to not be bound within the confines of the sub-genre in terms of the sonic colors brough to the table in the song writing process yet are very consistent in being consistent for their fans. Sure, there is a doom gazing element to the ambiance, but this is a pretty stunning album overall.  

Abysmal Hymns: Shape of Despair : "Return to the Void"

5-Mother of Graves - "Where the Shadows Adorn" 

Emerging from Indiana of all places with some killer death doom. They find the right balance of death metal grit with the somber melodic nature of doom. The riffs are catchy and serve the songs, while trudging forward with the deep growl of the vocals continuing their narrative. There are some powerful doom-colored punches being thrown, though the mood is one of the most impressive things the guitars capture. They hold your own against icons of the genre like Paradise Lost

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Mother of Graves :"Where the Shadows Adorn"

4-the Otolith-"Folium Limina" 

Made up of former members of SubRosa. They employ strings and folk inflected vocals. The drumming grooves and drones in equal doses to summon a dirge like quality as the storm brews. One of the key selling points is how the heaviness comes from the expressive drone of the atmosphere and hit you in that sonic sweet spot of the darkness making things heavy rather than just crunching out metal

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- the Otolith : " Folium Limina"

 

3-Dream Unending- "Song of Salvation" 

Progressive doom, with a mood more like funeral doom and plenty of shredding done in the most tasteful way.  They weave some really beautiful reverb-tinged guitar sounds that drift over lingering drums and a low guttural growl crawling under it all. Sumerland drummer Justin DeTore handles both the drumming and the vocals, show of not only impressive chop but manage to write songs that shimmer with dynamics.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Dream Unending :"Song of Salvation"

 

2- Messa -"Close" 

 A logical progression in the next step of the band's songwriting, there are new tricks up their sleeve as forays into jazz and progressive rock color the dismal blues inflected exploration of their shadowy souls.  Morose trippiness gives way to a more aggressive explosion than anything we have heard from them yet.  Snake charming brass and Middle eastern passages are the norm to a backdrop that allows their singer to explore her upper register as well as go into harsh vocals at times. They jam out into some fairly remarkable guitar solos and pretty much have it all going for them here. 

. Abysmal Hymns: Messa : "Close"

1-Hangman's Chair- "A Loner"

The French band's 2018 album took the top spot as Doom album of the year. Their reign of bleak continues, even though the more over metallic edges is dialed back. They make up for this is the mood they have captured which is as dark as the glory days of Katatonia. There is a driving riff when the opening track kicks in once the clouds of atmosphere have lifted. The lead single "Cold & Distant" is more accessible than anything we have heard from them thus far. Driving hooks with being too poppy. Songwriting is where they dominated and just because there is a more accessible slant to this album it is not a sign of weakness.

Abysmal Hymns: Hangman's Chair : "A Loner"

the Top 10 Sludge Albums of 2022

It's that time of year again. In 2022 we continued to need sludge as we marched further towards an apocalyptic future, here are the best of the current crop. When I am done sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I will then compile the top 10 albums of the year. I know many of you are ready for another year to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year.  The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. 

After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure, you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However, I listen to five new albums a day so yes, I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Sludge albums of 2022

10 -Abraham- ""Debris de Mondes Perdus"

 This Swiss band blends the raw attack of noise rock with the heavy oppressive weight of sludge. The punk roots are always known. The throaty yells of the vocals that open the album and the rest of the music gathers around it in a very dark and discordant fashion. The second listen through this album finds it all making a bit more sense though the first listen I was still pretty impressed

Abysmal Hymns: Abraham : "Debris de Mondes Perdus"

9-Gloson-' the Rift" 

This band from Sweden churns out a dark bellowing brand sludge from the more Neurosis school of sonics. It lumbers and the vocals bellow, so they have the basics covered. What I am listening for is what are these guys doing that I have not already heard before. There are also sung vocals buried against the layers of guitar. Not what you expect to come out of Sweden

Abysmal Hymns: Gloson : "the Rift"

8-Druids - "Shadow Work"

This American Sludge band rides the line between droning post- rock landscapes and a more Mastodon like progginess. Armed with sung vocals rather than just throat bellows, they have a leg up when it comes to songwriting. T The vocals are commanding yet sung, think more in the zip code of Baroness here. There is a bong tinted sheen of stoner vibes coasting over the groove. The song takes you on a journey which is more than most bands these days deliver

Abysmal Hymns: Druids : "Shadow Work"

 

7-Helms Alee - "Keep This Be the Way" 

This band continues to take chances, right from the start with the storming drive of the electronic pump the album kicks off with. They might be even more experimental this time around. The vocals are not the vehicle for melody all the time, though they lock into a more aggressive sludge attack by the time we get halfway into the second song. This anchors there songwriting more and gives the needed dynamic to make for a more compelling listen.

Abysmal Hymns: Helms Alee : "Keep This Be the Way"

6-Woorms- "Fatalismo" 

This band from Louisiana got Steve Austin of Today is the Day fame to really dial things in for them on their third album. It mixes the definition of sludge from the 90s with a Clutch style blues drenched swamp rock . The have pocket tight grooves, but do not forget to use atmosphere even amid their most banging angular barrages.

Abysmal Hymns: Woorms : " Fatalismo"

5-Conan-"Evidence of Immortality" 

The 5th album by this British band, carries all the thundering thump that you might expect, though when compared to their earlier work resonates with more sonic heaviness. It opens with a ten-minute pounder. The vocals howl with more conviction. Things are not always at a doomy plod; in fact they are pretty aggressive tempo wise, that aggression is what earned their place here. 

Abysmal Hymns: Conan : "Evidence of Immortality"

 

4-Absent in Body - Plague God" 

In some ways this is the album I wished Amenra had released last year instead to the overly atmospheric one we got instead. This album not only features members of Amera, but drummer Igor Cavelera of Sepultura fame and Neurosis' Scott Kelly. The massive apocalypse of sound they churn up is quite impressive with the industrial strength of its crushing throb

Abysmal Hymns: Absent in Body : "Plague God"

 

3-Crowbar- "Zero and Below" 

Kirk Windstein is back. One of the 90s most enduring metal bands churns with the swampy grooves that put them on the map. These guys have grown on me over the years and the more time I take with this band the more I appreciate them; Windstein is the only original member with Soylent Green drummer Tommy Buckley as the next in line as the closest thing to an original member. There songwriting feels like at times they are taking the torch from Panterra/

Abysmal Hymns: Crowbar : Zero and Below"

2- Fucked Up - "Oberon" 

What is fucked up is how they have decided to just go ahead and become a metal band. These guys have always been weird, so while it is a strange progression from the burlier angular noise rock they were making, this is an absurd leap into the unexpected. I am more surprised by how they are doing it; this sounds like the second coming of Cathedral. With the vocals serving as the main culprit, yes there is also a good dose of Celtic Frost mixed in with other weirdness like synth sounding effects.

Abysmal Hymns: Fucked Up : 'Oberon"

 

1-(16) - "Into Dust"  

After 2020's "Dream Squasher" proved to be a slab of sonic devastation I am still listening to 2 years later, the bar could not be higher for this California band. The continued to bring it with this album firing from all cylinders with their foot to the gas of this tank. The weighty sludge rolls over you, but with a bit of swing and hook.  There is more rock n roll flowing through their veins this time around. It is most commonly bled out on the frets of the guitars. Catchy song writing does not mean they are any less in your face or forceful in their intentions.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- (16) : " Into Dust"

Corlyx : "Blood in the Disco"

 

You got to love a band that refuses to make the same album twice. This time they are veering off into more of a 90s electro pop sound in the vein of bands like Curve. The vocals purr over the bass driven grooves, while they shadow of the core sound have not fade but give room for upbeat pulse of the song. Male vocals chime in on "Raindrops" which takes a smokier approach to the direction they were heading in when the album opened. It rides that line where cold wave meets pop. Lyrically things have more depth this time around. "The Echo" is more in line with where they were heading on their previous album, though marginally more upbeat. This album does explore a broader range of synth sounds. 

 Caitlyn's vocals on this album have sexier smokier feel on this album. There is something more tangibly sensual about how they slither over the songs. This amplifies the message of songs like "Take off Everything:  Chris Harms of Lord of the Lost joins them for " Never Love" which comes the closest to melding with the current goth landscape.   Harms voice adds some grit in places. This album reminds me that many of the so-called goth icons when they had their heyday in the 80s were basically making pop music. The way the back off into a more melodic side for "Incinerate: my point is further proven. Which is also to say the songwriting is really great on this album to inspire such a comparison. In some place her voice is like the sultrier tone Kate Bush touches on when striking a similar chord. 

"Lace and Latex" is one of the album's darkest moments with the band cruising through a sonic zip code similar to Switchblade Symphony. In terms of mood the latter part of the album haunts similar shadows. It flows very well and grows on me with each listen. This album is also benefits from the production value stepping up in terms of the pristine mix these sounds are delivered in. There is more of a post-punk feel to "the Threshold". The last song splits the difference between the more melodic pop ambiance the delved into at the onset of the album and their dark wave side.  I will go ahead and round this up to a 10 as it is still growing on, me but fans of the band should embrace these new sounds.

November is Doom -the Top 10 Stoner Rock Albums of 2022

 

Do you smoke weed? Have you continued to smoke more this year? Here are the albums you should have been listening to. These are album that are not prog or doom, falling somewhere in the middle with more than likely a heavy doses of bong blues to them Ok now that that is out of the way, much like in years past, I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. I know many of you are ready for this year to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. 

After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure, you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However, I listen to five new albums a day so yes, I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 stoner rock a albums of 2022

10-White Hills- "the Revenge of Heads on Fire" 

This duo sounds continues to evolve. This is a re-imagining of their "Heads on Fire " album from 2007. The songs are re-worked and re-mixed. Now it is something clearly more stoner rock than psych- garage rock. Things are still trippy, but heavier. The vocals drifting as the drums batter against the swirl of sonics swarming the song. There is still a very 60s throb to it

Abysmal Hymns: White Hills : "the Revenge of Heads on Fire"

 

9-Alunah - "Strange Machine" 

Hailing from the same city in England as Sabbath, but to their credit they are not trying to sound like them, aside from the lumbering riffs. Their female vocalist aides in this endeavor. She has a strong alto and recalls many of the so-called occult rock bands from a decade ago. There is a wider range of sounds that deviate from what you expect from this sort of thing

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Alunah : "Strange Machine".

8-Sasquatch- "Fever Fantasy" 

Los Angelos has not been the best poster child for legalizing weed as they have had the worst Covid cases next to New York, and homeless tent cities lining the streets. It had brought a surge of weed worshiping metal bands to the forefront with these guys being one of them. Their newest album finds them clawing their way to the top of the stoner heap 

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Sasquatch - "Fever Fantasy"

 

7-Thammuz-"Sons of the Occult" 

 This Swedish bands proves themselves very capable of doing some interesting, blues-based things, that offer melody and chops without relying on shredding noodling solos. At the albums strongest points, they work off a hushed tension that assembles darker sound that I love. When the vocals are more hushed they work best with the music.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom -Thammuz :' Sons of the Occult"

  6-Shaam Larein- "Sticka En Kniv I Världen"

The occult gloom of this Swedish band's sound marks this as the darkest band on this list.  like the dark throb that opens the newest album by this Swedish band. Colored by the kinds of clouds that might hang over a doom album, sultry vocals shroud the emotive narrative of the song as the guitar builds layers of sonic tension. The vocals often weave hypnotic chants rather than concern themselves with hooks,

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober-Shaam Larein: "Sticka En Kniv I Världen"

5-Greenbeard-"Variant"

This Texas band reminds me a great deal of the winning combination of sounds that Atomic Bitchwax used on their less coked out punk racing moments. You know the times when they had had catchy songs and grooves?  These guys are not limited to just that kind of straight forward rocking, they are able to pack the bong and dish out some very 70s cruising grooves as well. At the end of the day could you draw comparisons to Queens of the Stoneage? Yes, but Monster Magnet was doing this before those guys and this band is carrying the tradition well.

Abysmal Hymns: Greenbeard : "Variant"

 

4-Amon Acid - "Cosmogony"

The English based band is doom of a space rock variety owing more of their existence to Hawkwind than Black Sabbath. Though they are heavier and more ominous than most of the psyche bands who cross over into doom. The dynamic range is impressive going from crushing weight to using exotic Middle eastern flavored chord progression to unwind serpentine riffs.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Amon Acid- " Cosmogony"

3-Melvins - "Bad Mood Rising" 

Some things are expected with a new Melvins album. There will be a degree of weirdness. The opening track of their new album finds this degree dialed up to the high end of their weird spectrum. This proves to be a very solid outing for the band doing what they do best, I would not say it's as heavy or sludgey and more like something to pack the bong to

Abysmal Hymns: Melvins : "Bad Mood Rising"

2-Crobot- "Feel This" 

These guys made the Skid Row album that Skid Row should have made. Brandon Yeagley is not paying tribute to Sebastian Bach, but he captures his spirit much better than Skid Row's most recent singer. They play a style of high energy hard rock, that gives ample balls to the guitars. Though the surreal bits of atmosphere that make up these songs, proves the devil's cabbage is in play. 

Abysmal Hymns: Crotbot : "Feel This"

 

 1-Clutch -"Sunrise on Slaughter Beach"

With their 13th album it might first feel like the Baltimore based band is circling what they did on the more explosive "Psychic Warfare" album, but the deeper you venture into it, this changes. While the opener does try to recapture that magic, they return to the grooves where their true strength lies. They took top place because these songs are infectious, and this is an album you can just leave on repeat. 

Abysmal Hymns: Clutch : "Sunrise on Slaughter Beach"

Spiritworld - "Deathwestern"

 This is not what I was expecting going into this album. When it kicks in there is more of a thrashing metallic hard core feel than what I thought be melding with this more western themed mood originally painted. The riffs hit you with gut punch and the vocals are command with purpose, so it works for me. "Relic of Damnation" proves that the Slayer influence on the opening track was not by chance, it is something that drives the second song as well. The hyper aggression of the hard core running in the veins of this focuses the intent, more than if this was just another retro thrash revival. 

The drummer is totally out of their mind they have to play to keep up with this kind of thing. The blend of the two styles is cool in that it balances out the hard-core side of the band by keeping it from leaning too far in the punk direction where the groove might feel rushed and stuff, and it does let things get too metal and pull-out flash and guitar solos at every turn. The most important thing is how fucking heavy it is while still being very song focused which is a rarity in this day and age. At first "Ulcer " feels hard core then they flip the accent on the chorus. The western elements teased at the beginning have not resurfaced midway into the album, but I almost did not think about it cause these riffs are so fucking mean. I dig their sue of samples, gives it a more 90s feel. They even touch on break downs but do them in a more metal manner.

There is a slight return to the melodic western sounds of earlier going into "the Heretic Butcher". The thrash is dialed up a little higher on this one. "Moonlight Torture" is the first song where the momentum ebbs and it feels more like a formula they are working off of. Even their formula is better than most. The minute and a half song after this has a better riff. "Lujuria Satanica" works off a similar aggression. The same can also be said for the last song as well, they come at you once again full speed and head on. The album does not run out of gas but the last three songs while effective might not hit me as hard since it's not the caboose that kills you when a train hits you.  I will give this a 9.5, once of the stronger albums of it's kind.  

November is Doom- Elder: "Innate Passage"

 

Six albums in and it is becoming even more apparent this German band has more in common with progressive rock bands than they do doom bands. There is something appealing about what they do as the almost eleven minutes that encompasses the opening track goes by fast. It is filled with synths, harmony vocals and guitar solos. They loosen their harder edged tendencies that the first song had, the guitar takes on more of a jangle and the vocals relax into brighter melodies. There is something syncopation in places. The vocals glide around the complex guitar runs, this feels more like Porcupine Tree or Opeth than, any of the classic prog bands with 70s Yes perhaps the closet to what is going down here. 

The need for groove is filled on "Coalescence". The bass line lays down the foundation for the most interesting and catchy vocal melody yet to ride it. Where metal bands try to overwhelm you with heavy sounds in order to escape the finer points of songwriting, the same can happen with progressive bands who get too impressed with their own technical prowess. These guys have enough of that without sacrificing this song. The longest song on this album is the almost fifteen minute "Merged in Dreams". It winds around and takes you on a trip to different sonic places, but as far as melodies that stick with you, that is not the song's primary function, instead is a labyrinth jam. 

"the Purpose" feels like an extension of the previous son in how they jam it out. It is marginally darker and carries a more thoughtful shimmer to its atmosphere. They jam things out for three minutes before the vocals come in. There is stormy tension the guitar. The vocals are more like human accents. I will give this album a 9, as it works more often than not thanks to their skills as musicians, the weight really rests on if they want to serve the song or show off, since it's getting a high school, it should be evident the two balance each other out for the bulk of the album. However, it is not something I would listen to on a regular basis. But fans of the band, have a great deal to celebrate.    

Blacker Than Friday- The Top 60 Goth Songs Challenge

This top 60 Goth Challenge to name your 60 favorite goth songs, have been making the rounds on the book of faces, so here is mine. I normally am no big on participating in the games on there, but anything that places the emphasis on the music of goth culture rather than it just portraying it as fashion trend to hashtag on Instagram for girls who have no clue what a Miranda Sex Garden or an Alien Sex Fiend is, then I am going to support it. After all I paid the internet bill, child support and my gym membership off gate keeping this month, so time to leave this to the professional. Rather than put links to all 60 songs which would be more time than I care to devote to this, you can click over to Google and investigate further.   

60-Zeromancer- Dr. Online

59-HEALTH- STONEFIST

58- Youth Code- To Burn Your World

57- Woods of Ypres- I was buried in Mt Plesant Cemetary

56-Oingo Boingo- Dead Man's Party

55-45 Grave- Party time

54- Electric Hellfire Club- Kiss the Goat

53-KMFDM- Looking for Strange

52- Razed in Black- Salem's Demise

51-London After Midnight- Carry on Screaming 

50-Leather Strip- Satanic Citizen.

49-Xmal Deutschland- Incubus Succubus

48-Death in June- to drown a rose

47-Pleasure Leftists -the Conversation

46- Rasputina- Things I'm Gonna Do

45-Zola Jesus - Light Sick

44- Virgin Prunes - Baby Turns Blue

42- Switchblade Symphony- Witches

41- Miranda Sex Garden- Suspiria

40- Tiger Army- Incorporeal 

39 Type o Negative- Wolf Moon

38- Death in June - 13 Years of Carrion

37-Chelsea Wolfe- Color of Blood

36-Dead Can Dance- Severance

35-Siouxsie and the Banshees - Scarecrow

34-Samhain- To walk the night 

33- Type o negative- My girlfriend's Girlfriend

32-Wax Idols - Glisten

31- Evil mothers- Never Trust a John

30-TSOL- Black Magic

29- Sisters of Mercy- This Corrosion 

28-Dead and Gone- Blood from a Ghost

27-Specimen- Hex

26- Alien Sex Fiend- Now I'm Feeling Zombified

25-Rasputina - Transylvanian Concubine

24- Gerad Mcmahon- Cry Little Sister

23- Peter Murphy- Cuts You Up

22- Fields of the Nephilim - at the gates of silent memory 

21- My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult- and this is what the Devil does 

20- the Smiths - I know it's over 

19-Pink Turns Blue- Your Masters Calling

18-the Smiths -unlovable

17-the Cure- Burn

16- Kate Bush- Get Out of My House

15-Swans- Killing for Company  

14-the Jesus and Mary Chain-Happy When it Rains 

13-the Cure- Fascination Street 

12- David Bowie -Scary Monsters 

11-Iggy Pop- Cry for Love

10- Marilyn Manson- "Cake and Sodomy" 

9-Killing Joke- "Jana" 

8-Depeche Mode- Blasphemous Rumors

7- Type o negative- love you to death

6-Nine Inch Nails- Reptile 

5-Cocteau Twins- Pitch the Baby

4-Skinny Puppy- Killing Game

3-Christian Death- Deathwish

2- Bauhaus - Shes in parties 

 1-the Cure- "100 Years" 

November is Doom- Doomocracy- "Unorthodox"

 I have a weird thing about band names. In most cases i I do not like a band's name I will not listen to them. Because if that is how creative about their brand, then how creative is their music going to be.  I have seen this Greek band's name around when it comes to doom. This album is beginning to make me think those claims are founded as so far this feels more like a moderately darker power metal album. The opening song has more of a Katatonia feel, which I am willing to consider as doom. But "Prelude to the Apocalypse" is too upbeat and caught up in its self-proclaimed majestic glory and metal yodels that it never gets dark.

I guess this supports the argument that Metallica should have changed their name, when they stopped playing Metal on the Black album, there are still elements of metal, but it's just big radio hard rock. This band has a similar relationship with doom, there are elements of doom but they are really a power metal, they have more in common with Kamelot than Pallbearer. I find myself having to take doom out of the equation and say without labels how are they as a power metal band, which is they get the job, done, there are maybe 10 power metal bands I like, if we are lumping Queensryche and Iron Maiden into that, when they experiment with more exotic scales and phrasing things work the best for them. This is what makes "Death a State of Mind" one of the album's best songs. I had to back and listen to "Our Will Be Done" as it seemed like a dynamic shift in the previous song. I like the palm muted tension of the slithering riff, the chorus is not the best

Going into the title track there is a marginally more doom ridden tone though they maintain a great deal of drive in the chug .Its a good metal, song not a doom song, but it proves they are effective songwriters. The close the album out with the kind of melodramatic fervor they already displayed. It sounds good if you are into that kind of thing and is darker than most power metal. I will give this album an 8 as they are good at what they do there is just a great deal of false advertising in regards to what they do. 

Sharon Van Etten: "We've Been Going at This the Wrong Way"

 Catching up with album released earlier this year. The one originally came out back in May. She continues to perfect her brand of atmospheric folk rock, with a great dynamic build on the opening track. Piano plays a more prominent role on the second song. Her voice holding a hushed tension. The beat to "I'll Try" gives things more motion as it moves in more of a pop direction musically though her rather stark melodies do not follow this line of thinking. I find myself as I review this album having to keep a tally of when it falls in a more folk direction than a pop one the further, I progress into it. This differentiation is easy to make on songs dominated by the strum of acoustic guitar like "Anything". Though the dynamics do give it more sonic heft.  

That is not to say a more languid form of balladry is not another sonic color he uses , often near the sonic zip code employed by Lana Del Rey, though perhaps not as lounging on the California beaches, though she did move to California from New York, so it makes me wonder if she would have made the same album on the east coast. It does swell into a impressive almost symphonic climax.  Things get surprisingly heavy on "Headspace' which has a more industrial pulse, in how the beat hits. Then it's more folk for the dreamy "Come Back".  The lazy dream filled mood, is pleasing to the ears, but not as interesting in its arrangement until the other layer of vocals and the drums kick in. You can hear a touch of country influence under the surface. Her voice is projected with power when she belts it out while maintaining the vulnerable tremble, not unlike the approach of Thom York or Roy Orbison.

"Darkish" is thicker on the atmospheric folk feels than the hooks, though she jerks back in a more tense indie pop direction with the song that follows it. The meets the middle ground of these dynamics on "Far Away", which reminds me a little of Zola Jesus' more organically ambient moments. "Never Going to Change" cover similar ground but has a more urgent vibe to the melody. Then there is almost an 89s tinged pop feel to "Porta" , her voice bends around the beat with an emotive waver.  "Used to it" floats on a dreamy wave of ambiance, though it not the album's catchiest song, however it works for what it is intended to do. Like many of the songs on here an electric drumbeat, propels the dream laden musing, that float like dark cloud around the silver lining her voice brings.  I will round this one up to a 10, wish I had found it earlier in the year, as I was reviewing the album I kept a tally how many songs were folk and how many were pop and the folk side of this album beat out the pop side by a margin of two, moodier than most pop, if you like beat driven folk or reflective pop then this album is for you.  

November is Doom- Mother of Graves :"Where the Shadows Adorn"

This band emerges from Indiana of all places with some killer death doom, that finds the right balance of death metal grit with the somber melodic nature of doom. The riffs are catchy and serve the songs. The second song 'Rain" is a little more straight forward in the death metal direction, trudging forward with the deep growl of the vocals continuing their narrative. There are some powerful doom-colored punches being thrown as the song progresses, but it is generally ore midtempo.  The mood is one of the most impressive things the guitars capture. They hold your own against icons of the genre like Paradise Lost in this regard, though the vocals are not as nuanced. 

The guitars on "Tears Like Wine" are more sonic than being stuck in the metal riff way of thinking most bands of this sort live and die by. This willingness to explore other guitar sounds goes further for me than the piano breaks, as I have heard bands use those already to break things up.  Things take a meatier death metal turn on the more aggressive "the Emptiness of Eyes". Then to contrast this they go over into their more atmospheric and melodic side with " Of Solitude and Stone". It starts off with a calm before the storm clean guitar and builds into the kind of heavy they work with. 

There is a similar feel to "the Crown". Though the tempo starts off in a more languid place before building into melodic death metal. Just keening this sound is not the be all end all as they care about writing songs. The last minute of 'the Crown 'sails off into mournful atmosphere before converging back into the roar.  "Ghost in Twilight" works really well, though treads the same dark waters they have been paddling in throughout the album, leaning more in death metal. There is more of a traditional metal feel to the last song, as the guitars harmonize. When the crunching of riffs come it is very powerful. I will give this album a 9.5, they have a formula but never dial into it, I think they mean every note here, this is perhaps the best death doom album of the year, glad that I checked it out and you should as well. 

 

November is Doom - Black Spell: "Season of the Damned"

 l love doom that is why I devote an entire month to it.  I go into doom albums hoping it is going to give me the fix I need. The problem being, I cannot wish a band into being themselves and, more often than not stop trying to be Black Sabbath, but in this case Electric Wizard seems to be more of an inspiration to this Italian band. The first two songs prove to still be pretty passable in this regard. The vocals which are buried behind the guitar have more in common with Mudhoney. With song titles like "We Drink Your Blood" you would think this would rule with the dark vibes it is giving off.  They are metal so this kind of imagery is pretty obligatory. You can't be a doom band singing about being happy at the beach, well you could be it would be lamer than these guys ripping off Black Sabbath. They keyboards do not make things as spooky as they hoped. 

Their guitar solos are better than what most bands doing this kind of thing crank out, but not a key selling point. By "Witches Brew" they are trying to make the most of their Wah pedal and it feels a little over done. They go from boogie to a more aggressive chugged stomp. These are pretty much the basics of metal riff wise, so nothing too original going on here. Heavier than most traditional doom, but not interesting enough for them to jam this out as an instrumental. Teh solo has a sloppy Jimi Hendrix feel. It needs at least a Celtic Frost grunt. The title track is another stock doom riff that they put a little more muscle into in order to groove it out. St. Vitus is a fair point of reference for the direction they are going in here. The song does not really go anywhere as the chorus is nonexistent. They milk the guitar solo a bit. The half whined; half spoken vocals are pretty low in the mix.

The most impressive thing so far is the more laid-back mood going into "Apparitions", it's sadly just an interlude that does not develop into a song. The drummer picks up the pace for "Curse of the Undead". The vocal murmur something behind the Wah tinged guitar.  Things get heavier with the still grooving "Dead Dawn".  The song itself is just a book end for another Wah crazy solo. Neither the riff nor the guitar solo is interesting enough for this to have been a song.  The last song might be the best despite the vocals that might as well be non-existent. They get props for being darker than most and heavier than some, the guitars are well done, I will give this a 6.5. 

 

Blackbraid : "Blackbraid 1"

Here is an album got a great deal of hype since it's August release. A Native American black metal project. The questions today's metal should be asking is this going to be anything worthwhile once we take away the novelty of this being a Native American or am I falling for the hype machine that is capitalizing on my white guilt, so if I embrace diverse entertainment that will make me a better person. PT Barnum once said an "A sucker is born every minute" and when you take the lackluster song writing that does little to embrace its cultural influence and just sounds like any other generic black metal band that sucker is most of the mainstream metal community. The use of clean guitar might be more than many do but is not a huge leap in dynamics that makes this a groundbreaking album. 

 Maybe it' is black metal fans who feel ashamed for liking Burzum who are trying to accept this as their repentance. Which is the opposite of what black metal should be about. I am quickly bored by the second song. This guy is not doing anything that Agalloch has not done a million times better. "Sacandaga" starts off as blasty as any other color by number black metal band and then once we get into the verse things become more deliberate. The scowl snarl of the vocals is mid-range, not a high scream of a low death metal growl. In terms of execution this is his best attempt yet. Many times, with these projects you can tell if they are a guitarist who is playing drums or a drummer playing guitar, there is no clear-cut answer as both are workably mediocre. I begin to think drummer due to the double bass in this song. The guitars are just buzzing tremolo picked with the occasional gallop thrown in to break it up. 

Title "Barefoot Ghost Dance on Bloodsoaked Soil": is the most Indian feeling thing about this album, aside from a flute blown here and there. Yes, the intensity is maintained, but it is a boring blur of guitar that feels like it is going nowhere. This could be AI generated black metal. It comes close to sounding like it, but something is off. Even feels like it sometimes, but something is off. The most generic of anything that is generic musically.  The acoustic guitar comes out again and I appreciate the darker tone to " Warm Wind Whispering Softly Through the Hemlock at Dusk". That could be another generic song title, this is however some of the album's best guitar work. Feels very Metallica influenced.  It is however not interesting enough to warrant being an instrumental. There is a lower more death metal vocal on the last song, which is more deliberate and makes me think he should have made a death metal album instead. Putting on corpse paint does not make black metal, becoming one with the darkness and conveying that with music does, you can't fake the funk or the darkness, next month will find me publishing my top 10 black metal albums of 2022 list, and those bands will explain how things went wrong here and what black metal needs to sound like, this is just cosplay I will give it a 7, not terrible, he is capable it might have been better to try this another way ,   

4.9

November is Doom- Amon Acid- " Cosmogony"

 

The English based band is doom of a space rock variety owing more of their existence to Hawkwind than Black Sabbath. Though they are heavier and more ominous than most of the psyche bands who cross over into doom. This can be more fully felt on the second song "Hyperion" where the come down with even greater weight. They do not sober up enough to scale back the atmosphere. They use exotic Middle eastern flavored chord progression to unwinds serpentine riffs on songs like "Death on the Altar" , where the riffs winding out with sublime grace while still maintaining tension. The vocals have the needed effects on them and not the greatest displays of vocal prowess, but get the job done as the narrative for this journey 

"Demolition Wave" kind of takes you away in its throbbing drone, while enjoyable it is more of a sound than a song. The sonic depth they hit you with being so much to ingest, it is still a very fun trip for your ears to be on. There is even more of a drone on "Nag Hammandi" which is somewhat eerie in the sounds that they indulge you with. The vocals are more of a chant The hypnotic lull of the one riff they mesmerize you with has little dynamic range but is a cool sound to employ. "Mandragoras" right of the jump dances with a more intoxicating groove, that is easier to belly dance to than headbang. Then they locked into a more Electric Wizard like stoner rumble. 

"Demon Rider" finds them trudges the distortion in more familiar fuzzed out valleys. The guitar riffs use wandering melodies to jam this one out. The fuzz is heavy and bulldozing with volume and power, as the keep it's groove going. They back off into more of a strum for "Ethereal Mother" . I can appreciate this for the overall dynamic shift of the album, as a song on its own accord perhaps not the most impressive. They cover more ground in terms of dynamics on the last song.  It feels like a good balance of the heavier side of what they do and the trippy vibes that give this album its own identity. I will give this album a 9.5, as it sounds great and works really well to build immersive moods. This is being released on Regain Records. 

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November is Doom - False Gods :"Neurotopia"

 

This sludge doom band from New York is an excellent example of why I so often bring up a band's influences, as they tend to form the sum of their parts, these guys have great sound it is suitable dense and dark in all the right places. There is a slight crusty edge at time. After the first song they make it apparent how large a role hard core has also played on their musical development. From the almost Fugazi like manner the vocals are sung on "Your Thoughts are Void" to the punchy crustiness coating the attitude the vocals are accent with earlier in the album which remind me of Kylesa. 

Being a huge fan of their 2020 album, I knew these guys were capable and it cannot be said that they are delivering more of the same. Instead, they are attacking you from a different angle that I appreciate."Phantasmawhoria" is a great name for a song. I was not expecting it to be a fast hard-core song. It barrels at you full speed ahead, until the break down comes. "Ghost Story" is darker and more deliberate, the chord pulse more when they are not pounding at you. There is even a guitar solo to move it in a more metal direction. There is a more stomping cadence to the sludged out hardcore of " To Defy Purity". The drummer gets pretty excited and starts attacking the song more. The vocals are almost sung more in their desperate bellow. The deeper into the song the more atmosphere begins to creep out. 

"Belief Crimes" carries a crusty blast beaten sound not unlike a less punk version of Motorhead in how it hits you like a train of sonic anger. There is some rock n roll guitars that smooth things out. They close the album with an Integrity cover. An odd choice, since they do share a great deal of sonic space with what Integrity did. I would have thought they might pick something less obvious. They do a good job with it, but would you expect less? I will give this album a 9, it's another solid selection of songs that does not find them standing in one place, as they straddle the lines between sludge and hard core.  

Bloodclot : "Souls"

 Despite being the original singer of the Cro-Mags, the name goes to Harly who is doing ok with it. This is a blessing in disguise as I do not see John Joesph straying away from the Cro-mags more New York hard core sound to make a thrashing banger like this. They title track opens with the fury of a Slayer song.  Slayer always wanted to be a hard-core band after the fact, and hard-core bands wanted to be Slayer after the fact, so this song alone encapsulates this. This is hyper aggressive and in your face as any young band out there today. You would think I would go into this album wanting it to sound like "Age of Quarrel" before I can even consider this it slaps me upside the head. He uis backed by members of Quicksand, Sick of it All and Madball.  

They do not let up on the second song, in fact I was starting to think was a little straightforward even for him. They continue to lead you on a high-speed thrashing assault with commanding drill sergeant vocals that rally the troops for gang vocals, as the hooky guitars pack more Exodus like punch, as it rides the hammering riff. "Save the Robots" finds John actually singing, his voice has held up really well the first riff that strikes me as sounding like the Cro-mags in on "Infectious". His also features him really singing. He carries a sneer that is trying to restraint it's disdain, before going into a higher croon. 

"Relentless" is just that. It goes back to a more old-school hard-core feel, thought there are slight inflection in his voice that allow you to hear what he once did as a vocalist to certain extent.  Not sure why they chose to cover a Bad Brains song, but they do. They pretty much nail "How Low Can a Punk Get" . He proves that he is one of the few singers from his era of Hard core that can pull off HR's chaotic vocal style. I will give this a 9.5, it was surprisingly more meat and potatoes hard core, but they do it well, since they invented it, the songwriting proves it.

November is Doom- Black Space Riders :" We have been here before"

 For some reason I always forget these guys are from Germany. The album opens with a sea of retro synths before the first song "Crawling' bounces into its jerking bounce of a groove. The vocals are throaty and ride the staccato riff of the guitar. "Trapped in an Endless" has a crashing thump to it, the quirky almost post-punk vocals are given room as they sit on the bass line/. There is a darker current to this song. The vocals shift in a starker baritone to accommodate this mood. There is an oddly reserved tension to the more compressed indie rock like riff of "Almost" that spins around your ears rather than engaging hem fully like a rock song.

"This Flow" finds them to go further down the road of odd mellow grooves, much different than what I have heard from them before. It reminds me almost of Tears For Fears or Peter Gabriel. They are obviously hitting the bong pretty hard, but it is moving with a more progressive grace. What it does not have are any grandiose window dressing or pretense, things just flow naturally. "Shine" is the first song with any metallic intentions in how the aggressive riffs attack to provide a contrast to the vocals croon in the background. They continue to work off this almost new wave feel being thrown up against the more bong laden metal. The title track is possessed by an almost robotic bounce to the beat, like a cyborg Primus, though the bass is less chaotic. 

The singer proves he can belt it out with power and aggression on "Beautiful" which is a generally darker song. There is also the first hint that I can hear where his German accent betrays him. This melody doe an odd dance almost like something Danny Elfman would do. "Fear No More" it not far removed from the shadow-tinged dance of the previous song. The vocals are emotive hear as well. There is a more exotic tone to "In Dust: it reminds me of when New Model Army went into a more progressive direction. There is a more metallic guitar riff that creeps in.  They continue to elegantly creep around with a darkly beautiful shimmer on "Leaving the Hill". "Whisper' almost sounds like a System of a Down ballad if run through the filter of the 80s. 

They continue to take you one sonic journey that are expansive as they are quirky from new dances in dark alleys to wild wandering prog excursions colored by metal guitar slithering around it. The closing song is a ten-minute epic that might have a slight amount of fat to trim but that is largely forgivable when you consider where they go with and what they do on the way.  At five minutes in the drop an impressive metal riff that is pretty powerful. If you think Dream Theater is prog then you do not know anything about music and might not be as into this album as there are not songs to shred over but music that goes somewhere, it is a wonderful album I will give it a 10.

November is Doom -Thammuz :' Sons of the Occult"

 

The more I dig into the state of stoner rock this month, I am finding that value is not placed on vocals as much as it once was. These guys are from the Netherlands, so it is not just an American thing. The first two songs kind of run together so it is not until the guitar backs off a little going into "Gauyota" that they really gain my full attention. More nuance to the vocals rather than just sounding like they are a cab driver from New York, might make a difference. They are very capable of doing some interesting, blues-based things, that offer melody and chops without relying on shredding noodling solos. 

The hushed tension to "Has Blast' really works well and assembles darker sound that I love. The vocals are more hushed to work with the music. The fact they are capable of that at least gives me hope. The loud to soft, contract expand shift works well, though feels somewhat 90s in execution, which is fine with me. The creepy serial killer vibes to the shuffle of "Self-taught man " is another winner Songs about serial killers are always winners with me. We also get necrophilia which is another winner for me. The get heavier as the song climaxes.

They really bulldoze you with distortion on "Death Songs". It is metal in the same way Motorhead is metal. Less punk, but just as driving, backing off into the blues shuffle for the vocal on the verses. They groove a little more on "People from the Sky".  We have both aliens and serials killers on the same album. When they locked into a more Tool like riff, I wonder if Tool is the influence of the kind of slither Kyuss has been the direction they are going in. There is even more of a grunge feel to "Peyote" . It is a two-and-a-half-minute instrumental that manages to still be interesting though I would like to have heard it worked into one of the actual songs. There is a shift to a more introspective tension again on "Insomnia" though it does build into banging out more of a booming fuzzed out riff. I will give this one a 9, sure the vocals could be better, but the lyrics are interesting, and it has it's own flair. 

November is Doom- Ruin- "Where Death is Spread Out Across the Sky"

 Ruin crosses many sub-genres. all of their shades of heavy are nasty. They do however still write songs, and I find their album fun to listen to. Guttural grows sometimes rise into more agonized spews. The pervading sense is dread. They do speed up into something more like death metal, but the opening track trudges a more death doom road. They indulge in forty-five seconds of ambiance going into "Dragging a Corpse Up to Hell", this crams everything into the last minute and half giving it a more grind core feel. 

"Abuse of the Lord" finds them rushing more into a typical grinding death metal shuffle. Not their most thoughtful song, but it is a barrage of brutality done in a manner that is consistent with who they are, they do cushion the blow some going into "Obsessed with Sadism and Blood". It starts off with creepy sounds leading, in they still retained a dark mood to what they do even when playing is marginally safer. There is a very deliberate and ominous sound that builds into more of a straightforward death metal pace, while not overly reliant on things like double bass. The slowed grind of the guitar is more like old Morbid Angel or Incantation. 

The weird ambient intros are a formula on this album, but it does break things up, so you can never say it all feels like an extension of the same song. They lurch into it very raw and heavy death doom when "Ascend into Poison" kicks in. This album is not their most inspired and plays more by conventional metal rules. They do feel a little more dangerous and eviler on the last song. Though they turn on the speed, so it falls into the more atypical death metal side. I will round this down to an 8.5 , kiind  of dialed in for what they do, but still great.