doom

Second Circle: WOORMS and Orchid

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Second Circle

In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.

In sharing a common theme, Louisiana’s WOORMS and India’s Orchid are out there on the spectrum of tripping the light fantastic. One does it with mind melting sludge and noise while the other does it with mind challenging technical ecstacy in the form of the avantgarde and extreme. So, for this Second Circle we’re taking a look at Slake and Miasma and how it would be best to take both in separate listening sessions so complete brain corrosion is avoided. Continue reading →

Profile: Chris West of Crawling for Carrion

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Crawlng for Carrion

Any time there’s an opportunity to hear an artist try their hand at Townes Van Zandt I’m always interested. Now, if said attempt is actually good, even better. Such is the case with Crawling for Carrion on their upcoming two track EP, Rake and Roads. Bonus points here for a good cover of Portishead’s Roads as well. Doom and sludge make for an interesting re-imagining of both tracks but it’s the emotionally charged chords of Rake that make the price of admission worth way more than what will be asked. Just ahead of the EP’s release, we spoke with mastermind Chris West to gain some insight into the band. Read on to see what he had to say and be sure to seek this one out or just hit the links within. Continue reading →

Album Review: Megaton Leviathan – “Mage”

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Megaton Leviathan - Mage

Megaton Leviathan felt like a secret, something I discovered browsing through Bandcamp late one evening that none of my friends knew about.  Funeral cosmic doom that embraced so many disparate elements to craft a forlorn style of music that spoke directly to the frightened receptors in my brain.  After a sizable gap in time Mage has fallen to the cold, hard ground to remind me that buried in the dark is a lush sense of melody and decay.   Continue reading →

Album Review: Krigsgrav – “Leave No Path to Follow”

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Krigsgrav-Leave-No-Path-To-Follow

I could do a lot of poetic waxing here to set the mood for Leave No Path to Follow, the new album from Texas blackened doom merchants Krigsgrav, about how their mid-paced melancholic mix of metal was not only a chance to get some alliteration in this review, but also describes the thick atmosphere they bring to the table.  I could mention the sterling cover of “Brave” from Katatonia’s Brave Murder Day and how that really stands as a touchstone for what the band can do.  And I’ll probably talk about all that in greater detail in the main part of this review.

The clearest thing I can say about the album and band is this:  I never heard of them before, got the promo, took a listen, and immediately went and bought the rest of the band’s discography.  It’s called striking a nerve, and it struck all of mine.  So let’s do this.   Continue reading →

Album Review: Flood Peak – “Plagued by Sufferers”

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Flood Peak - Plagued By Sufferers

Whenever I listen to an album, I try to see what I can gain from it, and that usually depends on how I am feeling week to week. It’s sometimes the reason why it takes me some time to listen to new music – it’s not the right time for me to dive in. Now, post-metal has been making a comeback in my listening rotation, and I am surprised by the melody it has implemented since I last heard some of it many years ago. In the case of Flood Peak, they have managed to blend post-metal with elements of drone and sludge to create a haunting record that recalls the inconsistency of life and its routines.

For someone who has been experiencing a lot of upheaval these last couple of months, Plagued by Sufferers is a balm to my weary soul. Continue reading →