A Deathly Doom: We Back
If you have been missing me and my grotesque gooning for death/doom, then I shall admit 2026 has been a bit underwhelming personally for the subgenre. However, the latter part of this year has brought with it some grimy goodies just bursting with what you know you come for: low, slow, and impossibly heavy. Come gather as I return to you now to be your shining light devouring darkness.
Epitaphe – III (September 11)
Being as it has been so long since I have commented on death/doom properly, let us begin with something that is as brutal as it is beautiful. Dropping their third full length aptly titled III to little recognition, France’s Epitaphe truly feels like a diamond in the rough just waiting to be uncovered. The album consists of lengthy compositions that range from crushing off-kilter grooves with gurgles to heartwarming sections of atmosphere with jazzy interludes using keys and saxophone. Although admittedly not to my taste, the inclusion of clean singing passages adds a sense of resplendence. All of it entwines together to form a tapestry of soundscapes to enhance the auditory sensations of grandiose gloom. III is warm in its production, but cold in execution stemming from a progressive outcropping from a death/doom foundation. Even after repeated listens, I still find myself uncovering more and more as I become lost in its wavelengths.
Immortal Dissolver – Rotting Ashes of Winter (September 30)
Where Epitaphe crafted long-form beauty, Japanese project Immortal Dissolver brings the harrowing and weird. The band is primarily the work of member Kaik Ogata aka Norjevän, but for this one, the lead guitar is performed by Nythroth of dissonant death metal band Acausal Intrusion. But if you are expecting impenetrable harshness, worry not as the tracks have lengthy head bobbin’ worthy sections paired with the most visceral vocal performance you’ve likely heard on a death/doom release all year. The production is raw and simple, but it only adds to the pained performance in the vocals, making this feel like a modern-day diSEMBOWELMENT. Also, this happens to be another project from the mind behind the war metal project Necrodiabolus which I covered recently. To tack on one last tidbit: if you are a fan of the animated web series Murder Drones, then make sure to inquire within as it acts as the muse for the matter within.
Morbid Stench – Doom Metastasis (October 2)
Alright, I apologize for subjecting you to two outlier bands out the gate, but allow me to rope you back in towards the median with something significantly more straightforward, but no less interesting. Composed as a trio with members from Costa Rica and El Salvador, Morbid Stench dropped this beauty horror to commemorate 10 years of releases with their third LP Doom Metastasis. Shame emits from me with my ignorance as this acts as my introduction to the band, but I promise to atone as I share this filth and groove from Central America. Where this articles previous inclusions were “progressive” and lengthy, here is precise death/doom where no track eclipses 8 minutes. The album flies by with sections of gritty riffs, foot-stomping percussion, and enough melodic undertones to make each track a worthy listen. It’s a front to back banger for sure and I will eagerly dive into the muck that is their back catalogue.
Worm Altar – Pillars of Eternal Dusk (October 16)
Now let us end on a putrid note, shall we? Morbid Stench brought the…well…stench, but Maine’s Worm Altar have wrought pure putrefaction with their debut album Pillars of Eternal Dusk. No frills or tricks, not an “avant” note in sight, but goddamn this thing hits hard. At a mere 32 minutes, these gents were able to complete the entire decomposition process of all life surrounding me: earth-shaking d-beats that shift to harrowing grooves, chest-crushing drumming that blasts and bounces, and vocals like that of noxious swamp gas, I can’t tell you many other releases this year that I had such a sick, fun time with. If you at all have enjoyed the rise of a band like Fossilization, then oh boy, does this band have something septic to share with you.
