The Ghoulstars : "the Dark Overlords of the Universe"

 

This band from Finland plays an upbeat brand of shock rock that opens with a gritty throaty anthem that makes you think they are going in a more Lordi direction. Then things get darker for "the Dead in Purgatory."  As far as horror goes, it's more in the light-hearted side, like if a rock band were playing at Disney's Haunted Mansion. Vocalist Arthur Thure is more versatile than just a leather-lunged howler. There is nothing all that original about what they are doing here, but it does have a charm. Until we hit the thunderkissed chug of "the Brain that Wouldn't Die," the use of samples is the only part that brings White Zombie.

Four songs into the album, it fees like they are sonically closer to post-Brockie GWAR mixed with the 69 Eyes, as I am sure fans of both those acts will find plenty of Halloween fun that is up their alley. "Graverobbers From Outerspace" has more of a Misfits feel, though the vocals are grittier.  "The Wolfman" might be one of my favorite movies, but this song is not my favorite on the album, as it's more aggressive but not as catchy. There are some decent riffs in it, but cool riffs alone does not make a good song, is the motto here. 

"The Ballad of the Cursed Bandits" is not a ballad at all, though that should not be a surprise considering the album up to this point has been paced more like Motorhead-style thrash than not. The more brooding metal mood of "Vampire" works for me better, which makes snese as I prefer vampires to werewolves. Most of these guys are in death metal bands aside from this band in fact the bass player was in Hooded Menace, so some of that influence comes out on the last song  I will give this an 8.5, as I like where they are going with this since horror movies and metal are pretty much what I am about, but with that said I personally already have a ton of bands that fill that need for me , as these guys are almsot too happy for my taste, these guys would be a great entry point for younger European auidences that are just discovering that sort of thing. They care about songwriting and set the stage with a fun mood. Drops on Season of Mist on May 15th.

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The Top 10 Thrash Albums of 2025

The Top 10 Thrash albums is a new list, as I felt the need to separate these from the Top 10 Mainstream metal albums list, which is becoming more commercial metal-core, nu-metal revival or even legacy artists who fall between those cracks. Some of these are bands who have made death metal albums previously or even black metal, but are closer to thrash than the genres they evolved from. If there were going to be any power-metal albums, they would most likely fall within the bounds of this list or the progressive list, though that genre is pretty stagnant without the big names releasing albums with enough regularity.

 

 After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of  2025.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. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Thrash albums of 2025.

10-Spirit World-"Helldorado" 

Despite being called "Deathwestern" the band's 2022 only used country & western music as a window dressing to perhaps bookend the album with. This time around it's blended to create a more Clutch-like swagger. This leaves the more metallic meat of the songs to groove with a darker energy.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/spiritworld-helldorado.html

9-Drain-",,,Is Your Friend" 

Drain continues to take you back to the time when thrash merged with hardcore. The vocals have more of a Pantera-like scowl this time around. The songs have room to breathe and emote, rather than just hitting you with a rapid-fire pummel. They bring pretty effective breakdowns that will make the kids bust out karate, during this vulgar display of power 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/drain-is-your-friend.html

8-Sacrafice -"Volume Six" 

This Canadian thrash band has been around since the 80s but never caught on like Voivod. They picked a decent time to stage a comeback with their 6th album. The the producer brought out elements of their sound that points them in a more Power Trip - like this direction. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/sacrifice-volume-six.html

 

7-Unleashed-"Fire Upon Your Lands" 

I saw this Swedish  band back in 1991 opening up for Morbid Angel. I tracked down " Where No Life Dwells' within the week, and wore that tape out as it was a darker, more dense sound than other death metal albums I owned at the time. Since those days, they have evolved into something more like a hard thrashing  Pagan metal as they have become more Viking-focused. They are quick to take you to Valhalla  it is clear they care about songwriting as conveyed in the powerful stomp  the drums lock in on. Lyrically things feel like they are almost too thematic, but I guess everyone has their thing. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/unleashed-fire-upon-your-lands.html

6-Testament - "Para Bellum" 

This marks the band's first album with Seven Spires drummer Chris Dovas, whose youthful exuberance gets the job done, even though you might prefer Gene Hoglan. Bassist Steve Di Giorgio, who goes back to "The Gathering," returns as well. . The emphasis tends to be on the rapid-fire style of thrashing, though they do return to their more signature groove, that makes the most  Chuck Billy's powerful voice, that is  also capable of melody,. His singing is one of the signature staples that set the band apart from the pack. It still works here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/testament-para-bellum.html

 

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5-Propaghandi- "At Peace" 

There are weird contradictions in life. One of them being for someone who does not like political punk, I do like this band. Perhaps it's because they are from Canada it hits differently. They have a brooding metallic edge to their sound that is perhaps brought out even more in the production of "At Peace," which is the band's 8th album. The urgency of the vocal opens the door for taunt, thrashing riffing, not is not a far cry from Bad Religion. I think the fact that they are so technically sound as musicians rather than guys banging four chords helps factor into why I like them so much. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/propaghandi-at-peace.html

4-Age of Apocalypse -"In Oblivion"  

 I loved "Grim Wisdom," so expectations are high for this one. There is more of a thrash feel, until things slow and get more moody and melodic. The lingering Life of Agony vibe is still there but they are e covering way more ground sonically this time around. Their cross-over sound brings  punishing accents to pound you with what some might consider breakdowns. They sell the the melancholy while rocking the fuck out, which is what I liked about Life of Agony, that winning combination works equally well here. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/age-of-apocalypse-in-oblivion.html

3-Hooded Menace- ""Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration"

This band band from Finland improves with each album. Their last album, "The Tritonus Bell," snagged the number 3 spot in the Top 10 Death Metal albums of 2021 list here, but things have changed. What strikes me about this album is how melodic the guitar playing has grown. It is more of a tribute to classic metal with plenty of riffs that sound like they could have come from a King Diamond album, so that, of course, wins me over. The biggest difference is that the vocals are a more one-dimensional growl, though they are delivered with a great deal of purpose, and the lyrics can still be comprehended through the rasp, which is not unlike bands like Sodom or Kreator. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/hooded-menace-lachrymose-monuments-of.html

2-NITE-"Cult of the Serpent Sun" 

The third album from this San Franciso metal band. They walk a line between black metal and traditional metal. I can hear where Tribulation might have occupied a similar sonic space at one time if they had not turned into a goth band. The snarled vocals  give them more of a black metal sound, as you could have someone with their foot on the monitor yodeling and it would sound like a different ballgame. You can draw comparisons to bands like Angel Witch in this regard. Almost playing the kind of deliberate galloping thrash that evolved from bands like Saxon.

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/nite-cult-of-serpent-sun.html

1- Coroner - "Dissonance Theory"

The band's first album in 32 years. Things are different in many ways, though they do not sound like they are in their 60s. Weirdly, Marquis Marky is not behind the kit, leaving Ron Royce and Tommy Baron as the only original members who feel more pronounced as a trio. Their new drummer, Diego, certainly pulls it all off. This is not them trying to recapture their 80s sound. Nor should they. A big difference lies in how forward Royce's vocals are in the mix, as he used to sit back in the guitars more, certainly having grown more confident in what he does.  You can hear how they influence bands like Meshuggah. This album grew on me with each listen, and it's clear they are more vital now than ever. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/coroner-dissonance-theory.html

Thanks for reading. Please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

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August's Top 10 Albums

It's time for August's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights may help casual readers catch up on what they missed and explore these artists. I am not writing brief summaries of them; I am simply linking to the reviews. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my inbox that are not coming out til October, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month it ranges from death metal to surreal indie folk, so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums of August

10-CROP-"SSRI" 

Sludge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/crop-ssri.html

9-Modern Life is War- "Life on the Moon" 

Punk 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/modern-life-is-war-life-on-moon.html

 

8-Chevelle- "Bright as Blasphemy"

 

Nu-metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/chevelle-bright-as-blasphemy.html

7-Hooded Menace- "Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration"

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/hooded-menace-lachrymose-monuments-of.html

6-Suicide Boys -"Thy Kingdom Come" 

Hip-hop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/uicide-boy-count-your-blessing.html

5-Street Sects -"Dry Drunk" 

Industrial/ Hard Core 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/street-sects-dry-drunk.html

4- Street Sex - "Full Color Eclipse" 

Noise-wave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/street-sex-full-color-eclipse.html

3-Crippling Alcoholism- "Camgirl" 

Noise-wave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/crippling-alcoholism-camgirl.html

2-Scorpion Milk - "Slime of the Times" 

Post-punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/scorpion-milk-slime-of-times.html

1-Ethel Cain -"Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You"

Post-folk 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/ethel-cain-willoughby-tucker-ill-always.html

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Hooded Menace : "Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration"

 

This death metal band from Finland improves with each album. Their last album, "The Tritonus Bell," snagged the number 3 spot in the Top 10 Death Metal albums of 2021 list here. What strikes me about this album is how melodic the guitar playing has grown. It is more of a tribute to classic metal with plenty of riffs that sound like they could have come from a King Diamond album, so that, of course, wins me over. The biggest difference is that the vocals are a more one-dimensional growl, though they are delivered with a great deal of purpose, and the lyrics can still be comprehended through the rasp. 

"Daughters of Lingering Pain" is more atmospheric and leans into the doom moods of what they do, with wisely placed keyboards in the background. The seven-and-a-half-minute song finds the riffs wandering around as they take you on a more melancholy journey at first before things gain momentum. The drummer serves as an excellent conductor for the twists and turns that unfold on this song. It did take a couple of listens to fully digest what was going on. 

"Lugubrious Dance" is more aggressive from the onset, like a more depressive version of Entombed, then things begin to unfold more sonically. Some fist-pumping anthemic riffs come midway into the song. Once again, they lead you into their haunted mansion of riffage, the winding corridors harmonized gallops. The vocals hold a little less purpose on this one, but the guitars are such a dominant factor that you would never notice. I was halfway into "Save a Prayer' before I realized it was a Duran Duran cover. This is the album's most unexpected moment. The vocals lack melody, leaving this all in the hands of the guitars. Thus, making the connection difficult to discern, but it works overall. 

There is more of a mid-paced Metallica-like chug to the last song. They steer things into a melodic direction with the harmonized guitar parts. Not sure how they would pull this off as a trio live, but that is where they are at with it. As with the bulk of the album, they wander off through a spooly labyrinth of riffs; this time, there is just more thrash influence to them, when not diving into more morose sounds. I will give this one a 9.5, as well. I'm not sure how it will stack up against the genre's increasingly higher level of competition this year, but it serves as a testament to an underrated band that continues to deliver the goods.  This drops on October 3rd on Season of Mist. 

Thanks for reading, give a listen to the song below and  please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

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Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

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the Top 10 Death Metal albums of 2021

Given the state of the world we need death metal more than ever. Death is something to be celebrated not feared and these albums help provide a soundtrack for that celebration. I do not like death metal that is too technical or only heavy, so these bands all went above and beyond.   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. 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 death metal albums of 2021

10-VHS- "I Heard They Suck... Blood" 

 Of course, I am going to like a death metal album about vampires, not as spooky as I wanted it to be, which is why this is more of an honorable mention, but the songs are catchy and fun.

Abysmal Hymns: VHS : " I Heard They Suck... Blood"

9-Asphyx - "Necroceros" 

This is1 the 10th album by this band from the Netherlands who is not drastically changing anything. They are straight up by the books death metal.  Old school to the point their sound brings back the crossroads where death metal sprung from thrash, these guys are the real deal as they have at it since 91 and clearly perfected this aggression into hooky songwriting.  

Abysmal Hymns: Asphyx : "Necroceros"

 

8-Blindfolded and Led to the Woods - "Nightmare Withdrawals" 

The band from New Zealand succeeds in not sounding like any other death metal band I have covered this month which is an accomplishment. Some of this is thanks to the helter skelter angular riffs they throw at you from every direction. It is progressive but in more of a math rock way than wanky shredding.

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June - Blindfolded and Led to the Woods : " Nightmare Withdrawals"

 

7- Carcass- "Torn Arteries" 

This album is a return to form. I was not too thrilled by their 2013 comeback album "Surgical Steel"  When you are a legend like these guys are you have to do better than that.  we know they are never going to be a grind core band again like they were on "Reek of ...", nor do I need them to be. "Necroticism" is my favorite album by them, but it's no longer 1991 . I am more impressive when they bring riffs that have a little more groove to them,

Abysmal Hymns: Carcass : "Torn Arteries"

  6-Hundred Headless Horsemen - "Apokalepsia"

Of all the bands this one might be the most different. There are progressive elements in the atmosphere being kicked up here. The overt battery of ear drums is perhaps dialed back a little, but they are making some beautiful dark music, more prog than I bargained for, but really well done 

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June -Hundred Headless Horsemen : "Apokalepsia"

 

5- Bridgeburner- "Disempath" 

This band from New Zealand is heavily influenced by hard core, we might call this death core but they have nothing to do with the terrible Myspace styled bands who coined the term, they are not only heavier and more aggressive than those kinds of bands but much better songwriters as well. 

 

 

4-Crypt Crawler - "Future Usurper" 

Right from the bass intro they have my ear because they are not opening this going for the throat. It is not to say they are not capable of doing that they just bring more to the table. I suppose this would fall under progressive death metal, though they are not too mathy or wanky. They are a tightly coiled aggression machine with all the hooks that old school thrash used to dish out but run from a filter of classic death metal. They keep this big epic maximum head banging momentum

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June - Crypt Crawler - " Future Usurper"

 

3- Hooded Menace - "the Tritonus Bell" 

 This band from Finland never struck me over the course of their careers so far as being as creative in the song writing department as they have so midway into the first song of this album. The have really paid more attention to their guitar melodies without becomes cheesy melo-death. The low guttural vocals could always turn into the one-dimensional element that shoots this inspiration down as the album progresses so we will see.   

Abysmal Hymns: Hooded Menace : "The Tritonus Bell"

 

2- Ruin - "Spread Plague Death " 

They come back nastier and grimmer on the title track of their new album. I really love "Human Annihilation". It had a very tangible hate to it's sound. In the time of metal growing kinder and gentler I need it to be more hateful. These miscreants deliver. It is not until a few songs in that things pick up into the faster pounding most death metal is known for. They have not gotten any softer and it is still just as effective when they go from the jack hammer into a more deliberate crunch. All too often heaviness seems to sacrifice a willingness to care about song writing yet here we are with the most dismally gurgled vocals and the songs still have me engaged. 

Abysmal Hymns: Ruin : "Spread Plague Death"

 1-Hypocrisy- "Worship"

The 90s never left. This is the vibe I get from the first album in over a decade from one of Sweden's best death metal acts. I first got into them back in 1994 with the 'Fourth Dimension" album. They were ahead of the curve when it came to lyrics dealing with alien conspiracies. Their experience as song writers prevails and makes this better than what a younger band eager to prove how heavy they are would do. Lyrically it is very fitting for the past year so wish it had come out earlier but will take it

Abysmal Hymns: Hypocrisy : " Worship"

Hooded Menace : "The Tritonus Bell"

 

This band from Finland never struck me over the course of their careers so far as being as creative in the song writing department as they have so midway into the first song of this album. The have really paid more attention to their guitar melodies without becomes cheesy melo-death. The low guttural vocals could always turn into the one-dimensional element that shoots this inspiration down as the album progresses so we will see.   When it comes to death metal, if we transition into the second song and it does not sound the same as the first song then we are on the right track, though I am beginning to get a sinking feeling in regard to my previous statement about the vocals. The opening riff of the second song, repeats later in the song, and while it is cool the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song make, for now it is getting them by.

There is a more angular turn in the riffs that comprise "Those who absorb the Night" Granted this did not jump out and grab me on the first listen to I had to go back and dig into it again. The guitar work is impressive. The drummer is fading into the background making me think he is more into doom than death metal. This song leans them in that direction for sure. I appreciate the gallop they charge into "". Things change up and a more mournful spoken vocal that borders on goth singing comes in. I guess here is where the Paradise Lost influence comes into play. The more doomy and dismal moods continue to writhe to life with "Scattered into Dark". I am convinced they do not want to just break the news that they decided to just become a doom band, which I think I prefer as this is hands down better than what I have previously heard from this band.

It is sad that the version Season of Mist sent me does not have the bonus track which is the WASP cover. Instead, I will just accept the instrumental that clocks in just under three minutes as the last song. I am not normally big on instrumentals, and while it does serve as book ends to the guitar solo it is all so well done, I am not only ok with it but like it. I will give this one a 9.5 as the vocals can be a bit of a one trick pony the music has to distract me from. With that said this is one of the year's best death doom releases.    

The Top Ten Doom Albums of 2015

This one was the hardest list so far. I need darkness and a sense of loss emoted from my doom. Though their is a far wider range of emotions expressed in these albums drugged bliss, anger and introspective melancholy are a few of the more prominent ones. Some have a dash of death metal to them others shoe-gaze or blues. Funereal doom is my favorite sub-genre and there is a fair showing of that. Some bands you might have expected to see here could be popping up on other lists to some as their sound has changed. It came down to which bands I have listened to more and see myself continuing to go back to when it came to ranking my top ten doom metal albums of the year. If you want to check them out the review links contain streams.

 10- Swallow the Sun : "Songs From the North"

 In today's iPod shuffling and add culture, a double album is ambitious, and even becoming obscure as more artists are reluctant to invest in more than an ep with today's diminishing record sales.Swallow the Sun is taking a step in an even bolder direction by putting out a triple album. The three albums offer a wide range of tastes into the varied sub-genres doom touches upon, even mellowing out into a more prog direction. These albums take commitment to make it through all three, but fans will eat up every ounce of melancholy extravagance. Many of the songs drew me in, even though a triple album with 12 minute songs is a little much and much like "Use Your Illusion" albums could have been condensed into one killer album.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/swallow-sun-songs-from-north-i-ii-iii.html

9-With the Dead: s/t

 The rule of thumb seems to be that super-groups sound better on paper ;than what the reality turns out to be. From the first song of With the Dead's self titled album this is not the case. Lee Dorian of Cathedral teams up with some of the guys from Electric Wizard to sludge out some oppressive fuzz dripped in darkness. The effects slathered on Dorian's voice are a good choice to keep this from sounding like Cathedral.These guys are all about the power, but leave a little room for the more subtle melody of the solos to warble over their pound. Very impressive, with high hopes for more. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/11/with-dead-st.html

8-Bell Witch : "Four Phantoms"

 This album really had to battle it out with number seven and while this is more of an overwhelming piece of work, the twenty minute songs made it hard for me to get multiple listens or really desire to commit myself to them, even though I like what is going on here. The growth and new ground broken is undeniable. This is a beautiful album , I wish some of the songwriting could have gotten to the point, the same thing could have been conveyed at times in ten minutes, as the passages that droned on the same theme for so long it would have been better served abbreviated. The doom genre can stand at a tricky spot bordering on stagnation if they allow drone to over compensate for lack of songwriting. While it is not the case for this album, it makes me wonder if the band felt obligated to draw out certain passages so they would not be seen as any less relevant.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/bell-witch-awoken-breathing-teeth.html

7- Domovoyd: s/t

 The drugs blur the lines in this album which is often dark and apocalyptic in it's looming power. The guitars are very sonic, but not obligated to always go over board on overdrive. Riding the line at times into stoner rock it's the apocalyptic nature to these spiraling jams that leans them more toward doom. One of the most unique albums on this list that defies being stuck neatly into a box.
  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/05/domovoyd-st.html

6- Khemmis: "Absolution"

 The appearance of harsh vocals on this one help keep the Pallbearer comparison from being a distraction. They have their own personality that is show when The guitarists pull out some sweeping shredding or in the choices the lead singer makes when it comes to melodies. These guys have chops and with more listens it's easier to hear where they stand on their own two feet.This was crafted with a ton of heart and rocks with the power of classic metal.
  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/khemmis-absolution.html

5-Hooded Menace: "Darkness Drips Forth"

 2015 might not go down as the year that doom broke big, but these e Finnish Doom merchants come on strong.  This very deathly brand of doom finds their riffs weeping in blood . Speaking of weep most bands would bore you to tears to with a twelve minute opener , but these guys keep you in the moment . The tempo picks up from time to time, but doesn't lose the grasp of darkness by going into a stoner rock boogie. The vocals are a low gurgle and the guitars maintain just enough chug to keep you confused as to if this is funereal doom or not.This album is solid, long winded songs generally do not drag and keep your attention. These guys have established themselves along side like likes of Evoken and Pallbearer with this one as they have gone above and beyond by putting a great deal of thought into these songs by not just  satisfied with being heavy.

 

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/hooded-menace-darkness-drips-forth.html

4-King Woman-"Wrong"

 Dark and droning,this blues drenched doom forsakes rock n roll to become more hypnotic.In fact it often finds it self having just as much in common with shoe gaze as it does doom, the lines get blurred in the most delicious manner.There is that depressive mourning quality to the music. The guitar sobs with it.The distortion is thick, but in the same way it's thick for a band like Hum. The deliberate delay of the drums doesn't prolong the pregnant pauses , but keeps the songs moving.The thundering drums keep the sunshine out when the pace picks up. It's pretty refreshing to have a doom album where all of the songs are not over ten minutes long.Every thing is very concise and to the point, but uses the time wisely to take you on a journey.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/king-woman-wrong.html

3- My Dying Bride : " Feel the Misery"

 Though the band's sound has been evolving ever since their formation in 1990, it is not until the distinct voice of singer Aaron Stainthorpe comes in you would not guess the first song is My Dying Bride until it slows down at the two and half minute mark. At first the violin's initial role is toned down but when it comes in the sound is unmistakably My Dying Bride. When growled vocals roar in they find themselves laid atop a much more up beat metal gallop than what they band ever churned out in their hey day. It does eventually slow down into the more mournful sound that My Dying Bride is known for. In their press release the word epic is used to describe their sound and as cliche as that term might be in metal,  it describes the more regal dynamic this album oozes. The production plays a huge role in this so does the shifting of genre lines as They go from straight forward metal so some almost post- rock with the clean guitar.Overall despite the changes and more in you face metal moments this album excels pretty much every step of the way. If you are a fan of the band you will have little trouble embracing this along with the rest of the catalogue in fact it's a vast improvement over the odds and ends they tossed to us with the "Anti-Dulivian Chronicles".
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/my-dying-bride-feel-misery.html

2-Slow Death : "Ark"

 This might be the most under-rated album of the year.This Mandy Andresen from Murkrat and Crone lights up the first song with her vocals, she is followed up with dueling growls, both gurgled lows, that are the post-humus performance of Gregg Willaimson who died before the album's release. Pallbearer's Brett Campbell contributes guitar to this album. Sure it is common for doom to often feel like a classical composition and the dense drone drags from one song to the next often seamlessly. Mandy vocals work similarly as Campbell's do in Pallbearer soar over the grim rumbling.She is constantly showing different facets to her singing , like some moments on the last Pallbearer this song explores at time that place where shoe gaze and doom meet. The solo on this song is pretty impressive and that sort of thing while I like to hear the band has chops doesn't normally make me sit back and say "Damn, that shit was on fire." This is what I want more of in my life. Without question this is a 10, not a dull moment, the long songs don't seem long because I am engaged in it.
  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-slow-death-ark.html

1- Shape of Despair :"Monotony Fields"

 this Finnish band has taken the past fifteen years to perfect their very melodic and atmospheric brand of doom . The vocals range from are a low gurgle, to female oohs and aahs stacked like Type O Negative in the background. The stay on a depressing path through out. The oppressive feeling is almost tangible. The band is aware they have been notorious for putting long spans of time between releases, so everything is right where it should be with every nuance dialed in, so it was not time wasted. It might not dig as deep and dark of a grave as other funeral doom bands , but the songs are masterfully varied and dynamic to create an awesome album.
  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/11/shape-of-despair-monotony-fields.html

Don't Feed the Trolls

This is a new column where we climb under the bridge and try to understand the logic of trolls. Maybe there is no understanding them so in that case we will try to sort through their fecal deposits on the various web sites I write for. Regulars here know I also write for such sites as Cvlt Nation, No Clean Singing, Treblezine and Hiplanta. Its just math that dictates with a bigger audience comes a larger percentage of dumb assess, who rarely think before they type. While in their parents basements many of these find their only source of pleasure trying to argue non-existent points for no other reason than the attention their parents did not give them. While one might assume taking steps to break the cycle of endless forums and masturbation would make the most sense, these glue sniffers only respond to one thing...nothing. That's right, I learned a conspiracy of silence speaks louder than words, so post the article then drop the mic.

But since this is my blog and I can do what ever the hell I want here I am going to dissect the troll excrement for nothing but my own amusement, and maybe you might learn something along the way. Our first installment comes from the comment section of No Clean Singing .

1. Justin C says:

   November 3, 2015 at 11:07 am

   Hey now, let’s not disparage retro stoner crap-core.

   Reply
2. Leperkahn says:

   November 3, 2015 at 11:36 am

   Wouldn’t exactly say that this has been a slow year for doom, but I do agree that this new Hooded Menace crushes.

   Reply
3. Derek/Godless Angel says:

   November 3, 2015 at 5:41 pm

   Absolutely menacing and not the least bit disappointing 

   Reply
4. Baconator says:

   November 3, 2015 at 5:56 pm

   …Skepticism, Shape of Despair, Bell Witch, Ahab, Elder, Windhand? And that’s just some big names…

   Reply
   • MelbCro says:

     November 3, 2015 at 7:17 pm

     Add to that great albums from veterans My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. But apparently a slow year for doom….

     Also seeing this being compared to Pallbearer is just plain lazy. To me just shows that the reviewer isn’t really that familiar with doom (particularly death doom), which is fine but be honest rather than trying to project being knowledgeable about the genre. People will see throughout straight away.

     Reply
5. Grant Skelton says:

   November 4, 2015 at 1:35 am

   Hell yes. Love this album. Multiple listens in 1 day easy.

   Reply
6. blend77 says:

   November 4, 2015 at 7:37 am

   Abjuration already has my vote for death doom of the year,

   Reply
   • SurgicalBrute says:

     November 4, 2015 at 8:20 am

     …that was a really killer EP

     Reply

Well Justin C gets it. While Leperkhan is doing some wishful thinking.

Derek / Godless Angel seems to be with the program as well...wait it's coming

…Skepticism, Shape of Despair, Bell Witch, Ahab, Elder, Windhand? And that’s just some big names…

six bands and lets go ahead and add My Dying Bride seven, later Paradise Lost is mentioned and they are not doom, lets say I get three new metal albums in my in-box a day, which is not counting many albums I hunt down myself , but for the sake of doing the math we will say it averages out to three a day that comes to 1095 albums a year. If there are twenty eight doom metal albums of note if we go ahead and count Paradise Lost in case I over looked one.   That comes out to 2.5 percent of the metal albums that came out this year were doom. Hell lets go ahead and double that number it comes out to five percent. Truth be told both Windhand and Ahab took a step away from being doom bands, a blow to the genre if you considered them to be heavy weights.

MelCro who doesn't realize how the world works from the sanctuary of his parents basement fails to see the Pallbearer comparison is very intentional , because it is not a stretch that after being not only a metal band to blow up in recent years , but a doom band that blew up, this is a fact that is not lost on Hooded Menace, perhaps they just dug "Foundations of Burden" and the influence crept out of their subconscious are they though this riff is cool and kinda has that angular Pallbearer feel, lets use it because it is certainly making them money.  Lazy...well tell to the p/r firms and marketing companies that send me their press releases blatantly trying compare their band to more popular bands in order to reach the broader demographic. Are Hooded Menace jumping on a bandwagon with this album? No, and if reading comprehension scores in America weren't so low then maybe it would have made more sense. Does any other angular riff stand out like it might have come from  St. Vitus, Lycus, Worship, Candlemass,  Coffins, Esoteric, Loss or Mournful Congregation ? Nope...so Pall Bearer it is.

Abjuration gets a vote, so go check them out until then don't feed the trolls and they will go away.

Hooded Menace : " Darkness Drips Forth"

2015 won't go down as the year that doom broke big. The doom releases have been sparse. These Finnish Doom merchants come on strong.  This very deathly brand of doom finds their riffs weeping in blood . Speaking of weep most bands would bore you to tears to with a twelve minute opener , but here they keep you in the moment . The tempo picks up from time to time, but doesn't lose the grasp of darkness by going into a stoner rock boogie. There is a really weird break down with the guitar tone changing at the eight minute mark, but the song maintains its momentum. "Elysium of Dripping Death" is a morbid ten minute dirge. The vocals are a low gurgle and the guitars maintain just enough chug to keep you confused as to if this is funereal doom or not. Double bass keeps the song from getting mired down in its own mire of misery. The guitar melodies also add more of  sense of motion while things slowly gather steam. Much like Pallbearer the riffs take on an angular edge. There is some dazzling guitar work that erupts from all the rumble around the seven minute mark here.

There is more technicality to the intro of "Ashen With Solemn Decay" than you might expect from a doom band.Five minutes it I am beginning to zone out to the drone out until the guitar solo comes back in a wakes me up. They end the album with a heavier roar on "Beyond Deserted Flesh". It carries more death metal in it's low-tuned chug than the other songs on this album. The guitars are well layered, and the song gives the album a much-needed punch after zoning me out on the previous song. Five and a half minutes in it really builds up after an odd angular break. This touches on almost classic metal as it digs into a timeless gallop. I think metal heads of every ilk would find something to bang their heads to on the last song.

Overall this album is solid. The long-winded songs generally do not drag and keep your attention. These guys have established themselves alongside like likes of Evoken and Pallbearer with this one, as they have gone above and beyond by putting a great deal of thought into these songs and are not just satisfied with being heavy, they have accomplished that and a lot more. I'll give this album a 9.