November is Doom - Dream Unending : "Certain Uncertainties"

This project's last album took the number one spot on the 2022 Top 10 Doom Albums list, so the bar is pretty high here. It opens with more emphasis placed on the progressive nature of what they do. The more cavernous side of death doom is introduced a couple of minutes in, with an angular riff twisting into form. Once again, this album is offering some stellar guitar work that marked the previous release. The jamming is tasteful and does not wander much, keeping the 8 minutes of the song moving well. "Certain Uncertainties" carries a jazzy feel with touches of Pink Floyd in its second-hand smoke.  

"Strained Sincerity' finds them firmly back in metal. Though they are not playing it safe. There is some intersting layering in this stunning mix. Jazz guitar sits against metal chugs. Much more technical than what you expect from this sub-genre. "Rubato" has a steamy jazz creep. You never say 'Wait, but this is not metal" because they are doing what they do so well; it just boils down to good music being good music. If you are a guitar player or just love great guitar playing, this song is a must. 

"I Carry Your Burden' takes things out into a King Crimson-like place. While it's not a total deal-breaker, they have jumped the shark a little here with this one. The 11-minute "Causal" wanders in its wizardry. They are great musicians, but it is about blance which, up to  'Rubato," is maintained in a manner that allows melody and purpose to coexist with their display of chops. It takes about five minutes for the metal to develop. The metal moments ground them; jazz leads them to believe a song has no boundaries. Not the most focused album, but impressive and well done I will give it a 9.5, even though the jazz takes over at times.If  you want a progressive death doom album heavy on the jazz, this is it. 

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November is Doom- Exhuming the Tunes with Trouble's "Psalm 9"

 

Here we start our journey through this Chicago band's discography. Some of the earlier albums I have not delved into as fully as I once did, when I was obsessed with their fourth album. The first thing that really sets them apart is the voice of Eric Wagner. There is an unhinged warble and piercing touch of rasp that gives him more of an edge than the bulk of his peers during this time. When this album was released in 1084 it was clearly ahead of its time.  The opening track balances brooding and bombast with the tone of its time as the pulse. You can hear hints of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in their sound almost as muhc as you can hear the looming influence of Sabbath in the lurching riffs. 

It's easy to hear how this album could be considered the first proper doom metal album as when Sabbath came out they were never considered doom, and I do not think these guys were trying to do anything but make a heavy metal album, which, when Sabbath came out, the concept of heavy metal did not exsist. "Assassin" is more ofa a straight-up metal song. "Victim of the Insane" is darker and more rooted in doom as we know it today. It took a couple listens for it to click with me.  "Revelation" works off the kind of groove they are now known for. It clicks the first time you hear it. 

"Bastards Will Pay"  finds the chug gaining momentum. It is your typical heavy metal anthem. Somewhere amid the chug of "the Fall of Lucifer," I fell asleep so I had to back into the album again. Riff-wise, it plays off the tropes of the time, though even then it's non-conforming metal when we consider where metal was in 1984. "Endtimes" feels like a variant riff of the ones already used on this album as it twists around. Overall, the song works well in terms of dynamic ebb and flow , but not sure they needed an instrumental. 

The intro to the title track feels like Spinal Tap, but the song itself is great once you dig into the meat of it. The cover of the Cream song they tackle works well enough. Not a huge Cream fan, but I do appreciate them. I will give this album a 9.5. While it's important to the genre and ahead of its time, it is being measured against when the band hit its peak, but it's a great debut that is a must for all doom fans.

7.7

pst540

Mystic Prophecy : "In Metal"

 

This German Power metal band gets it right wehre other bands of this genre wimp out and get too happy. They have a mean guitar sound that carries a hammering chug. There is a dose of melodrama. The keep the guitars to a respectable level, and aweighty chug giving it some balls. Vocally, there is grit to his voice; he does not sound like he wants to be in Helloween despite being from Germany. At 58, age wisely keeps Roberto grounded; he is not doing much falsetto yodeling and belting everything from his chest register, which plays to his favor, and he does an excellent job of using what he does have to work with. 

They keep everything at a very fist-pumping tempo. The dynamics are subtle, but it is clear they are skilled songwriters who are true to the genre without sounding more dated than the genre tends to root itself in a certain era of the 80s; they bring some fire of their own to. 'Don't Run Away" does find being so devoted to this style beginning to be a little limiting, so we will see how they keep this going. The double bass gets poured on for "Angels are Falling". The drummer is working over time on this one and it pays off. 

Lyrically, we are to our ears in heavy metal mish-mash, marching with swords and such. Thankfully, the more anthemic elements on a song like "When the Hammer Will Fall" find chugs balancing it out, almsot more like Tyr than Iced Earth. Granted, this is still very European, but it is aware that heavier music came out in the 90s and uses those tools. "My Inner Innocence" embraces a more melodic dynamic without becoming a glorified power ballad. Granted, they are not as nuanced as what Kamelot would do, but then again, they do not allow themselves to be pulled into power ballads, where Kamelot will sadly fall into. "Devil's Son" works better for me than the last song, which is about Vikings again. I will give this a 9.5, on the basis of how well done this is and the fact it brings some guts to a genre that need them. 

pst539

October's Top 10 Albums

October falls behind us, and it's now time to catch up on the month's best new releases. This might help you, casual readers, see what you missed.  I am not doing little blurbs on them, just linking the reviews. This helps me organize my end-of-year lists by including each album's genre. This does not mean these albums were released this month; it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed most. I have albums in my in-box that won't come out until March of next year, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of how much I have listened to them. This month, it runs the gamut from Americana to black metal, so perhaps you will find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for October of 2026.

10--WAYFARER- "Riders of the Setting Sun" 

Dark Americana 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/wayfarer-riders-of-setting-sun.html

9-Ductape-"Faded Flowers"

 

Darkwave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/gothtober-ductape-faded-flowers.html

8-Wolves in the Throne Room-"Estuary" 

Black Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/wolves-in-throne-room-estuary.html

7- Bleached Cross- "Wrath" 

Industrial

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/gothtober-bleached-cross-wrath.html

6-Iommi- "From the Dark"

Epic Doom Metal

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/tony-iommi-from-dark.html

5-Pain of Truth -"S/T"

Hardcore 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/pain-of-truth-st.html

 4-Ghostemane-"AM: FM" 

ALT HIP-HOP

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/ghostemane-amfm.html

3-LOR3L3I="Peace By Proxy"\

Ethereal Darkwave 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/gothtober-lor3l3i-peace-by-proxy.html

2-Theodor Bastard - "▽"\

Dark Electronic  Goth

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/gothtober-theodor-bastard.html\

1-Fontaines DC- "Dopamine Chamber" 

Brit Pop 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/fontaines-dc-dopamine-chamber.html

pst538

November is Doom- Cult of Luna : "In the Shadow of Your Shadow"

 This Swedish band has evolved a great deal over the years. At the core is a form of post-sludge that traces its roots back to Neurosis. The stormy chords and thundering drums present a gloomy attack. The vocals are at a coarse rasps with the guitar carrying the bulk of the melody. It swells to the kind of apocalyptic proportions that sludge is known for before breaking down into a melodic guitar section. It floats along before predictably building up. Joe from Gojira shows up for "Sadness Will Reign" ,which is another song that leans heavilly into the  Neurosis influence with it's sonic sprawl. Joe's voice sits back in the mix.

"Laby" is more of an interlude, while the over 12-minute "Breach'  has more interesting sounds being introduced that are not sitting as neatly into the expectations of the genre, something that worked really well for Portrayal of Guilt this year.  Portrayal of Guilt's new album went in a more sludge direction this time around, so there is more common ground than you might think. This song finds more ofa slow burn in places as things move at a much more deliberate pace. Atmosphere is used really well to build the mood. The guitar solo contributes to the song rather than just being wanking. Over half the album is made up of long sprawling songs. Not uncommon for this genre. It is not the most dynamic song, as it works around one darkly clouded mood.

"The Rift" floats on a more post-rock abstraction until hitting the two-minute mark. The growled vocals this band uses have typically felt like a dynamic killer; this time around, the guitar is in control of that, and it is just an obligatory motion to go through. It ebbs down into a more simmering post-rock jam. There is, however, more build than payoff. The six-minute "A Way Back"  is carried by the sung vocals. Eugene Edwards from Wovenhand joins them for "One More Day". It starts off with the deliberate crunch sludge is known for that carries with it a sullen atmosphere. Edwards' voice chimes in and carries a very Swans-like vibe with it. He is also on the new Wayfarer album, which carries a similar vibe to what they are doing on this song. 

There is a more aggressive sludge chug to "From Grey to Black" with a guitar melody that hangs in the background. Less progressive andd more aggressive it sounds more like their earlier work, which should please a segment of their fan base. There is enough dynamic ebb andd flow on this one to keep you engaged. Just under 12 minutes, "Burial" closes the album with a more doomy tone. t much longer. Three minutes in, it feels like they have already taken this lumbering riff as far as it can go, but they drag it out. I like how dark this album is but the growl vocals are kind of boring,  with only moments like unless Edwards'  singing redeeming them so I will give this one an 8.5

pst537

November is Doom 2026

 

I have been doing this doom-dedicated month for a few years;  it makes sense, as we head into the gloom of the year. First and foremost, when it comes to bands I am looking to cover this month, I am not seeking out bands that worship Black Sabbath. Thi year I am reviewing every single Trouble album this month to see how they have held up over time. My favorite sub-genre is Funeral Doom, so we will have our fair share of that, but also sludge, stoner rock, darker psych, death doom, and more. More is the variation of traditional forms of doom. 

However, despite the twists and turns the genre might make, there may be doom-adjacent artists or two, we are going to be very clear about what is doom and what is not. It is not just about playing slowly. Sludge most commonly makes this mistake as it is often slow to pass through a metal filter. Sludge is about aggression, which is more tormented than hateful. Doom is about sorrow, loss a foreboding fear of what is to come, not unlike horror movies in this regard. While darkness is the driving force behind black metal, it should also be a pervading theme of doom. There are a few bands, one of whom I review this month, who confuse power metal for doom, and that does not work for me. 

The month will end with me revealing the best lists for doom, sludge, and stoner metal. One reason I keep doing this every November is it gives me the time to catch up on bands that might have flown under my radar the rest of the year, or catchy bands who have released their album late in the year. I think releasing an album after October is pointless. There used to be a trend of holding out until November so it could be sold for Xmas, but how often are physical pressings of music given as gifts these days? Not much, and not enough to have release schedules delayed. Anyway, here comes a parade of sonic despair for the month.   

pst536