Brock’s Doomy, Gloomy January 2K25
At the beginning of each new year, there inevitably exists a period where I am simply unmotivated to dive straight into the new and shiny releases that perpetually vie for attention. With releases from the previous elliptical journey around a shiny fireball in our cozy little solar system still to discover and dig deeper into, some things will simply go by without attention because reasons. I am sure you are likely feeling the same, but now is the time to awaken from our metal hibernations and bask in the radiant sunshine that is…let me check my notes…depressing and crushing doom. Oh no, forgive me Hans.
Memorandum – L’isolement distinct (January 1)
Memorandum. A bit of a strange name for a funeral death/doom band, but who am I to judge. Especially when the music is this stunning. As you could have probably guessed, low and slow is the name of the game here; however, this one man woman project from Quebec City, Quebec was easily the first thing I’ve heard this year that firmly grasped my attention. Opening with an organ section that invokes the spirit of ’70s-era cult rock, the hauntingly slow guitars and drums join in as a sure-fire way to garner a full listen.
With L’isolement distinct, vocalist and guitarist extraordinaire Alice Simard is joined by Eetu Hernesmaa on drums, keyboards, and bass to deliver what few funeral doom projects are capable of: actually being good and making interesting music. The third track of this EP entitled ”Fée” also bravely decides to integrate a flute composition that seamlessly adds an extra layer of musicianship and emotional depth to the already stellar music. I mean, how many funeral doom bands do you know that combine all these instrumentations along with shredding guitar solos that would make even tech dorks take notice?
Onirophagus – Revelations from the Void (January 17)
It always feels like a strange sensation when you instantly click with a band you’ve never heard before, only to realize they have been around for over a decade. Whoops! Well, I promise to atone for my sins of omission by singing the praises of this Spanish death/doom quartet. Onirophagus play the more standard variety of death/doom, but they execute their vision with stunning effect. Plodding chuggs accompanied by eerie guitar whines and sorrowful atmosphere are here in full force, driving each section to a morose conclusion. Also, the butthole tentacle entity on the album cover should be an instant sell.
Revelations from the Void won’t be breaking any new ground upon its release, but that doesn’t mean that the sonic griminess it contains is any lesser than its contemporaries. Hard hitting, constantly shifting, and always monstrous in execution, this beast of an album simply will not loosen its slithery tendrils from my brain. Having developed a bit of a soft spot for exactly this style of death metal likely makes my views on it a bit biased, but alas, I don’t care. This is some heavy-ass Lovecraftian nightmare fuel that has only gotten better with each listen.
Můra – Needle Cathedral (January 20)
Look at that fucking album art. Would you just look at that thing? Now that is how you get me intrigued to check out your music without ever hearing a single note. Just the second release (both EPs) from this Prague-based blackened death/doom outfit, Můra play a more stripped-back version of the style that borders on the drone categorization. Each note feels like a step on an endless march of darkness and despair, painful to those unwilling to commit themselves to the entirety of the arduous musical journey.
Where the previous acts in this article insert huge moments of change and instrumentation shifts, Needle Cathedral intentionally drags both the music and you down into the gutters along with it. Their themes are succinctly stated as just drugs and death. Well, that is a pretty easy way to sell me on your music infinitely faster than your standard stating how this is the most brutal and heaviest thing since sliced bread (did I get that analogy right?). Slow, dark, and deliberate. Everything that makes extreme doom metal captivating and dreadful.
