Pale Cremation “Alta Stranezza”

 

    The mastermind behind Pale Cremation, Matt Lasserre, is never one to simply hit repeat and put out the same monotonous sounding album. I would say that Matt is very driven on delivering music that features a variety of his musical influences. Also, his exploration into these thought provoking science fiction themes has really become a captivating quality on his most recent releases.  

    “Alta Stranezza,” might be one of his most bizarre and creative creations to date with its variety of musical styles blended together to paint an entropically futuristic vision. You could say that this album is like a Federico Fellini movie, but with a surreal science fiction twist that explores a dystopian world where humanity seems to be completely spiraling into insanity. Overall, Matt delivers a plethora of influences ranging from hard hitting doom riffs, to some new wave and synth driven sections, to even some 90’s industrial arrangements. I thought on Pale Cremation’s album, “Communion,” that Matt was really infusing more post-punk and new wave elements into the music, however, on “Alta Stranezza” he really takes it to a new level. 

There are five songs on the album with the opening song being close to twenty minutes long, which feels like a tip of the cap to his prog rock influences such as Rush and King Crimson. The first sounds you hear on the song are air raid sirens blaring to sound out a warning of what is to come. Right after the air raid sirens cease, Matt unleashes a crushing prog rock jam to take listeners on a rollercoaster of galactic musical chaos. Throughout the track I thought Matt added some really solid guitar leads and melodies to complement the heavy yet spacey sounding arrangements. Handling the drumming on the album is Anders V. Wienerholden who has worked with Matt before on past Pale Cremation releases. I think the production and recording of the drums is very well done and allows Matt to lay down some killer guitar work amongst the bombastic rhythms. Also, during the track Matt deviates from the slamming hard rock parts to offer listeners some out of this world synth compositions that make you feel like you are drifting into majestic cosmic realms deep in space. 

The second song on the album, “Termination Of Bio-Spheric Extremity,” contains a really HEAVY bass riff that I felt was a high point during the track, and reaffirms why Matt is known as the Bass Wizard. The third track, “Beyond the Dark Side of Science,” starts out with this very profound synth arrangement that almost sounds like it could be used at the beginning of a John Carpenter film with Kurt Russell walking down the street looking ready to kick some ass. During the song I liked when Matt started using a distorted vocal effect to deliver the lyrics as the music took on a very sinister industrial sound which was appropriate given the haunting lyrical content. 

On the fourth song, “Soul Wound (Phase V),” the music heads more into a synth heavy direction along with some other different sounding compositions. Actually, one of the arrangements reminded of something that you might have heard from The Police, which goes to show how this album is utterly diverse in terms of Matt’s musical influences. The last song on the album, “The Great Deluge of the Final Earth,” is a cataclysmic finale and starts off with a very heavy sounding guitar part. I felt as though the bombastic drum parts were extremely solid sounding and towards the end of there song the music begins to transition into a more trippy celestial style to conclude the mind-altering listening experience. 

Overall, what stood out the most for me on Pale Cremation’s “Alta Stranezza,” is that Matt has really become a master at incorporating all his different influences. Having followed Pale Cremation from the very first release as well as knowing Matt since his days as the bassist in bands like Scrape the Earth and Mournful Cries, I really do believe he has become a strong composer and his opened mindedness to different types of music can appeal to wide range of music fans. Also, unlike those bands and artists that are creating music to chase trends, Matt is a passionate fan going against the grain and bringing together all the different styles of music he enjoys to create his own unique sounding compositions which seems to sound more profound on each new album. 

Check out the entire album below : 

Pale Cremation Bandcamp:

https://palecremation.bandcamp.com/

Top Ten Albums of 2025 / Rob "The Metal Guy" Awards

 

   Well everyone, 2025 was a totally nutty year with plenty of moments that made me just wanted to throw my hands up the in air and scream, "Get me the hell off of this crazy planet!" From the constant talk about AI taking over to my city becoming insanely overdeveloped to where every single piece of land is being used to build overpriced condos that like look something out of a George Orwell novel, 2025 really felt like massive pile of feces floating in a toilet. Luckily music seemed to be the best medicine, as there were some extremely strong releases that came out this year. Also, the future of the Bay Area underground metal scene looks very promising with bands like Cardinal, Bezaliel and Varulf leading the way. Plus, Sentient Ruin showed up by continuing to release more uncompromising extreme metal albums this year. Although I must give Hells Headbangers major credit for the work that they did this year whether it be new releases, or re-issues of extreme metal classics like the Goreaphobia picture disc. In the end, 2025 may not have been a cake walk of a year, but then again, when is life ever completely without chaos...Alright enough rambling like a washed-up pro-wrestler from the 80's doing a shoot interview, here are my top ten albums from 2025...

10. Gawthrop - “Kuboa”

This South Korean sludge act sure unleashed a gruesome sounding album with the release of “Kuboa.” Definitely could hear influences like Noothgrush and Grief which is probably what drew me to the album right away after hearing the first preview song. Glad to see Sentient Ruin was the label working with the band for the album’s release as Gawthrop perfectly compliments the label’s diabolical and unapologetic extreme ethos. There are plenty of agonizing slow crushing riffs throughout the album painting a bleak and dystopian landscape where piles of bones lay across a desolate wasteland. 

9. Prophetic Suffering - “Rivalry of Thyself” 

The bestial death metal horde from Canada known as Prophetic Suffering unleashed a sickening decibel defiling onslaught with the release of "Rivalry of Thyself." From start to finish this album was utterly devastating and featured some savage guitar work to go along with the cataclysmic drumming. These sadistic maniacs don't experiment or try to go off the extreme metal script, which is why the album comes across as an unforgivingly raw and brutal assault without any remorse. Definitely a band to keep an eye on if you are a fan of monstrous sounding death metal. 

8. Phantom - “Tyrants Wrath” 

The maniac thrashers from Mexico are an insanely relentless force and have gained a solid international following over the years. I personally really enjoyed their debut album, “Handed to Execution,” a lot when I first heard that album. “Tyrants of Wrath,” is another solid release that features more merciless old school speed/thrash riffs, but even has more classic melodic metal touches which draws influence from the NWOBHM and early 80’s speed metal. Still, they know how to bring the intensity when it comes to heavy sounding palm muted riffs that can conjure up a mosh pit within seconds. Plus, they seem to be working extremely hard as I see them constantly sharing videos of their wicked live shows. 

7. Perdition Temple "Malign Apotheosis"

The new album from Perdition Temple was definitely a strong extreme release to come out towards the end of this year. For their fifth full-length album the band yet again demonstrated their vicious talents by hammering out some juggernaut sized death metal riffs. The album really invokes that old school sound which is great given how modern death has really become sterile sounding and seems to have lost that pestilent vibe that you heard coming out in the late 80's and early 90's. Perdition Temple knows how to come up with vile sounding tracks like "Kingdoms of the Bloodstained" and "Death Insurrection" to give the listener a chaotically deafening listening experience. 

6. Moonlight Haze - “Beyond” 

The epic power metal outfit known as Moonlight Haze once again created a truly impressive release. I tend to be extremely picky with my power metal as I have found the sub-genre to be getting a bit gimmicky with too many bands starting to become very forgettable. However, Moonlight Haze knows how to construct these triumphant sounding compositions to grab your attention. Also, the band’s singer has an amazing voice along with a tremendous vocal range. In think if you are into power metal then Moonlight Haze is a band to be checking out and I hope they come to the US for a tour. 

5. Matt Lasserre - “Jungian House Dreams” 

The mastermind behind Pale Cremation never seems to slow down and continues to create some killer releases. His new solo album that came out this year was a bit of a departure from his more doom and hard rock past, but he still found a way to captive listeners with some really impressive prog rock/post-punk influenced compositions. “Jungian House Dreams,” contains some ethereal synth arrangements, which gives the release a very dreamlike quality. Matt recorded plenty of fascinating compositions on this album that mixed all these different types of musical influences of his to make a very creative release. Having known Matt since his days playing bass in the band Scrape the Earth, I've really come to respect how much work he has put in over the years recording new music and furthering to explore his various musical interests. 

4. Uranium - “Corrosion of Existence”

Probably one of the most insane and down right mind altering extreme albums to come out this year. The one-man blackened industrial act behind Uranium has been conjuring up some real radioactively decimating releases in recent years with this one being surrealistically brutal from start to finish. Uranium combines all the abhorrent musical elements together to offer listener's a glimpse into an apocalyptic nightmare where humanity has become devastated by nuclear destruction. Sentient Ruin also did a great job with the album's release by offering a cool vinyl variant as well as printing some badass shirts/hoodies/long sleeve shirts (Still some available on Sentient Ruin's website). 

3. Demonsmoke - “Resin Wrought” 

Demonsmoke’s second full-length album and the follow-up to their monumental 2017 debut album “Morphine Moonshine,”is without question one of the heaviest albums that came out this year. The band increases the vile sludge and doom dose to an even more diabolically sinister level with “Resin Wrought.” The riffs on this album are vicious while the vocals add a venomous touch of pure unapologetic disgust. Definitely draws influence from Southern sludge metal, but has such a profoundly dark doom vibe that hooks you from the first suffocatingly distorted riff. Also, shoutout to the artist who did the album cover as it perfectly compliments the band's primordial demonically doom like sound. 

2. Lathe of Heaven - “Aurora” 

Lathe of Heaven's sophomore full-length album "Aurora" had to be one of the album's I was most looking forward to in 2025. The band's debut album "Bound by Naked Skies" is one of my favorite albums to be released within the last few and I still listen to it quite frequently. "Aurora," is a tremendous follow-up that shows the band's growth as songwriters, as well as their ability to compose these haunting and fierce post-punk atmospheres. The lyrical content is inspired by science fiction along with other topics that are extremely relatable to the current state of our world. I personally think Gage Allison is one of the best singers currently in the world of rock/punk/metal music, and he always seems to delivers the lyrics with such profound conviction to where you remember every word. "Just Beyond the Reach of Light," is a powerful song that I would consider to be the best song off of the album. 

1. The Chameleons - “Arctic Moon” 

I can already hear the elitist extreme metal fans reading this number one pick and saying, "You're number one pick is yet again a non-metal band?!" Well in the end, I am unapologetic about what I enjoy and in my opinion the best album to come out in 2025 was The Chameleons "Arctic Moon." For those not familiar with The Chameleons, they are a tremendously talented post-punk/new wave act from the 80's that I strongly believe deserves more credit for their work. The band's first three albums are utterly phenomenal and even though they did not sell millions of records, I believe they have established a profoundly loyal cult following that deeply treasures the band's recordings. "Arctic Moon" is a bit of a comeback album since they had not put out a new album since 2001. Even after all those years of not making new material, the band did not seem to miss a beat as the new song's a truly astonishing. Reg Smithies is a brilliant guitarist who constructs these mesmerizing landscapes featuring some very tranquil sounding guitar compositions. The song on the album that steals the show is "David Bowie Takes my Hand," which contains some powerful lyrical moments along with these very inspiring dynamic arrangements. Even if you are not a fan of this style of music, I really do recommend checking this album out given how well music was recorded and how meaningful the lyrics come across. 

The Rob “The Metal Guy” Awards

EP of the Year: Samiarus “Reign Destroyer” 

Best Live Performance of the Year: The Chameleons in Roseville, CA

Most Brutal Album Cover of the Year: Demonsmoke “Resin Wrought”

Label of the Year: Hells Headbangers (The Goreaphobia picture disc turned out great! So glad I ordered it!). 

Up and Coming Artist of the Year: Cardinal (A black metal band that is extremely talented and hopefully working on a full-length album). 

Intercontinental Metal Champions: Empty Chalice (Created this new category for bands who come to the Bay Area from another country and put on a killer show, which Empty Chalice did on May 31st of this year). 

Biggest Douche of the Year: Sleep Token 

Demonsmoke “Resin Wrought”

    The filthy doom metal savages in Demonsmoke once again emerge from the shadowy depths of the California Delta to unleash upon the metal world a profoundly monstrous creation. On their sophomore album titled, “Resin Wrought,” the band continues to hammer out sickening cuts of agonizing old school sludge and doom without any remorse. 

    The first time I heard Demonsmoke live was when I saw them play live in 2015 at a dive bar in downtown Petaluma. After seeing them perform I was instantly hooked by their vicious doom metal sound which heavily incorporates that profanely venomous sludge/doom metal vibe similar to groups like Church of Misery and Eyehategod. When they released their debut album “Morphine Moonshine” I definitely felt as though the band delivered a killer album featuring some utterly devastating songs with one of my favorites being “Creeping Down Your Neck.” Also, the band worked with legendary metal recording guru Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, CA who returned and lent his recording and mixing talents on, “Resin Wrought.” I do believe Greg perfectly captures the band’s sound on this new album and even helped draw out a more insidious side to Demonsmoke that can be heard throughout the release. 

    The album beings with some malevolent high-pitched feedback noises followed by the band’s vocalist Cam unleashing a disgusted cry of unapologetic anger. Titled, “Caustic Truth,” the opening track features a pulverizing main riff as well as some punishing rhythms. The drumming and bass playing sounds extremely tight, and the impact can be heard throughout the song. Also, I can hear where the band added more harsh sludge elements on this release that I would say draw influence from acts like Grief and Noothgrush. The second track, “Earth Monkey,” is another southern sludge inspired doom onslaught containing more deafening noises to come mercilessly blaring out of your speakers. There is one riff during the song which hits with such seismic force by throwing down some meaty palm muted chord strikes. 

Taking a break from the album’s first two heavily cataclysmic sounding songs, the third track, “Onset,” is a trippy sounding instrumental piece that serves as the perfect setup for the next song, “Inebriated Muff.” Coming up with a more diabolically groovy sounding doom jam, Demonsmoke delivers out a real distorted banger with “Inebriated Muff.” There is a very bluesy vibe going on during the song, which I would even say captures that old school 70’s Black Sabbath spirit. The fifth song, “Eternal Abyss,” is probably the strongest example of Demonsmoke crafting a more hideous sludge offering, especially in terms of the putrid vocal delivery which can be heard violently screaming over the distorted chaos.  

    For the final two songs, “Blunt Force Trauma” and “Resin Wrought,” the band arranges even more abysmal mind-altering riffs and primordial doom rhythms. On the song, “Blunt Force Trauma,” Jimmy R from Transylvanian Recordings provides some guest vocal work and when paired with Cam’s vocals, adds a massive boost of hostility during the track. Towards the middle/end of the song there is a burst of hardcore punk fueled aggression giving the music more entropic edge. The final song, “Resin Wrought,” is a gruesome sounding sludge/doom drenched piece of raw aggression that once again displays this band’s truly wicked talents. From the start of the album until the end, Demonsmoke grabs the listener like a demonic entity taking possession of a host and driving them completely insane with maniacally heavy dose of distorted riffs. 

    Overall, Demonsmoke delivers an undeniably heavy and down right sinister album with the release of, “Resin Wrought.” Picking up where they left off on, “Morphine Moonshine,” the band was able to keep the momentum going, but they also added some even more hellacious sounding elements to their sound. I know in the metal world that there are some critics who label doom and sludge metal as being repetitive and sometimes the equivalent to an endless snooze fest, however, the new Demonsmoke is anything but a snooze fest. The moment you start listening to the album's first song, I can guarantee you will be fiendishly hooked until the very end. 

Check out the song "Eternal Abyss" below:

Demonsmoke Bandcamp:

https://demonsmoke.bandcamp.com/album/resin-wrought

Pale Cremation “Communion [Soviet Tapes 1984]”

    Having snuck some recordings out of a secret underground base similar to the one from Resident Evil: Retribution minus the Russian zombie soldiers that knew how to operate motorcycles, Pale Cremation was able to obtain these never before heard recordings from 1984. Titled, “Communion [Soviet Tapes 1984],” the latest Pale Cremation album is one of the most diverse sounding releases to date and the plethora of different influences perfectly captures the dynamic mindset of the artist behind this release. 

    The mastermind behind Pale Cremation, Matt Lasserre, conjures up yet another out of this world sounding creation by bringing together a variety of different musical styles on each of the eight tracks. Pale Cremation’s early releases were very much grounded in old school doom metal and hard rock, but with the last few releases I feel as though Matt has incorporated more old school progressive rock elements into his music along with more experimentation with synths and ambient noises. On “Communion [Soviet Tapes 1984],” Matt really embraces the sci-fi horror world by composing some very cinematic synth arrangements that pays homage to the film scores from 70’s and 80’s sci-fi horror movies. The most notable movie being, John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is referenced on the tracks, “Mimic” and “Indistinguishable to Human Eyes.” During the song, “Indistinguishable to Human Eyes,” you can hear audio clips from the movie while Matt unleashes a decimating doom onslaught mixed with hypnotic synth breaks wedged between the heavy sounding riff barrage.  

    On this album, Matt has drummer Anders Wienerholden handling the drum parts and coming up with some punishing rhythms to complement the bombastic metallic sounding riffs. The opening track, “Walls of Ice,” is very surreal sounding with this frantic build-up of drums and guitar that seems to create an atmosphere of sheer terror and suspense. I would even say that there are some trippy industrial arrangements sprinkled throughout the album, which definitely strengthens the album’s sci-fi horror/government cover-up theme. “Indistinguishable to Human Eyes,” is a great example of a horrifying industrial/doom metal like track, especially when you hear Kurt Russell’s voice from The Thing being heard right before a savage arrangement shatters the soundscape. 

    Speaking more on the cinematic emphasis that seems to be very prevalent throughout the album, tracks like “Eldritch Prophecy” and “”Shodan,” are both very futuristic sounding synth wave style tracks that I could almost see being used as the music for video games. “Shodan,” especially reminded me of something from a haunting sci-fi video game, or even an 80’s horror film John Carpenter might have worked on, because the song has that utterly bewitching synth sound. For listeners who prefer more hard hitting riffs Matt has you covered with tracks like, “Malevolent Cosmic Forms” and “Communion,” that contain some heavy sounding psychedelic progressive rock structures. I have to say that, “Communion,” was one mind-altering listening experience and the lead guitar parts provided by Eric Doyle were down right mesmerizing as the notes rang out over the cataclysmic compositions. 

    Overall, “Communion [Soviet Tapes 1984],” has to be one of the most creative releases from Pale Cremation that vividly demonstrates Matt’s talents, as well as his eclectic musical influences. I think this album can be something a wide range of people will find fascinating given the mixture of heavy metal, progressive rock and synth wave used to strengthen the album’s themes about malevolent extraterrestrial lifeforms trying to overtake humanity. One day when the world meets it’s inevitable fate at the hands of some superior galactic race, they will discover Pale Cremation’s “Communion [Soviet Tapes 1984],” and realize that humans were not all useless sacks of insufferable crap like that damn Hawk Tuah Girl, or those douchey frat boy podcasters. 

Check out the entire album below via 666MrDoom's Channel:

Link to Pale Cremation's Bandcamp:

https://palecremation.bandcamp.com/album/communion-soviet-tapes-1984

Maudissez “Self-Titled Album”

    The debut self-titled album from French extreme metal monstrosity, Maudissez, is an unholy juggernaut of a release that unleashes such a malicious death doom/sludge sound that the Notre-Dame Catheral might collapse from the unfathomably devastating sonic force. 

    Recorded originally in 2023, Maudissez is teaming up with Sentient Ruin to make this album available for extreme metal enthusiasts all across the world to hear and purchase on vinyl. I am not surprised Maudissez is working with Sentient Ruin, because this band perfectly compliments the label’s diabolic extreme music ethos. Sentient Ruin is a label that prides itself on delivering some of the most unapologetic and sonically decimating underground acts from all around the globe, and Maudissez’s definitely delivers some inhumanly destructive compositions on this debut album. 

    In all honesty, there have been plenty of bands that have made heavy sounding music and have criticized the christian religion, however I will give Maudissez credit for crafting a very monstrous and surrealistic sounding arrangements to compliment their sacrilegious themes. There are some dissonant elements thrown in which creates these nightmare inducing atmospheres like on the opening song, “Fracture par Fracture.” The album’s opening track begins with a mighty barrage of deafening blast beats and savage riffs, but eventually slows down for a more ominous sounding arrangement. I actually liked the drumming throughout this album as the rhythms helped give the music a very sadistic and primordial vibe when needed.  

    For an album featuring only four tracks in total, the band meticulously explores the inhumanely brutal musical landscapes by conjuring up some extremely vivid sounding compositions. Some of the riffs on the second track, “Blessure par Blessure,” really stood when I first listened to the song, especially the one sludgy doom riff that kicks in the four minute mark. After listening to the dissonant and malevolent noises at the beginning of the song, I liked the transition to this hypnotic doom like riff section. Of course, the band goes back into the abyss of sheer mind shattering terror for the song’s finale, but I understand that they wanted to have a surrealistic sounding conclusion to an already insanely entropic piece of music. 

    The other two tracks, “Meurtrissure par Meurtrissure” and “Brûlure par Brûlure,” are very bombastic sounding as well, and without any doubt display a tremendous level of nihilistic brutality. “Brûlure par Brûlure,”is probably the song that stands out the most on this album, mainly due to the fact that the ending sounds like the Gates of Hell are opening and all the demons are coming through the gateway in search of human souls to defile. The eerie tempo, evil organ music and cries of agony in the background, really pain this vivid picture in your mind as you become engulfed by the apocalyptic noises coming at you from all different directions. 

    In the end, I must credit Maudissez for coming up with one uniquely profane extreme metal release, especially considering that this is their first album. The entire album is actually very well produced and the songwriting paints an utterly surreal and hellacious sounding story, even if I did get lost in those moments of gratuitous distorted chaos like on the second track. This is definitely an album worth checking out if you are fan of death doom, sludge metal or downright deafening music. Actually, I would really like to see Maudissez live, because the arrangements are so profoundly heavy that it would be amazing to see this up front and close. Although, I bet my ears would be ringing for days after seeing them live. Oh well, the experience would definitely be worth it! 

Check out the entire release below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/

Pale Cremation “EP VII: Consume”

 

As humanity becomes grossly enslaved to social media and technological advancements start to replace humans with artificial intelligence, we are going to need acts like Pale Cremation to remind us of the potential dangers that shall await humanity as all those brilliant science fiction films and books from the past become our new reality. 

On this brand new Pale Cremation release, “EP VII: Consume,” we see Matt Lasserre who is the mastermind behind Pale Cremation continue to explore more science fiction related lyrical themes, while taking the doom metal sound and adding a plethora of other elements to give the music a very dynamic sound. The early years of Pale Cremation were very much grounded in the old school doom metal world, however, with each new release you could hear the sound evolving and exploring Matt’s other musical interests. I think what really stands out about, “EP VII: Consume,” is how the lyrical themes address some very relatable topics pertaining to our society’s relationship with technology and how the digital age has impacted our lives. 

For the drum parts, Matt enlisted the help of Anders Wienerholden who proved to be a very strong addition right from the get go by making a deafening impact on the first song, “Anxiety Hivemind.” Actually, when I started listening to this new release and heard that main riff on, “Anxiety Hivemind,” I was blown away by how utterly aggressive the music sounded. I could hear a little bit of the nasty sounding riffs from Pale Cremation’s 2021 release, “Masquerade In The Violet Theatre,” but somehow the new music takes on an even more vicious and bombastic sounding approach. Throughout the entire song Matt’s guitar playing and bass playing delivers one fatal punch to the ears and even transitions into more  progressive/industrial metal sounding directions to make the musical landscape feel very entropic. 

The second track, “Nightmare Emulator,” definitely compliments the album’s science fiction theme by incorporating these haunting cinematic electronic noises. Also, the machine like pounding guitar riffs and drum parts create this surrealistic like environment where you start to feel like your mind is being completely altered by the bursts of cataclysmic distortion. I thought the song was an extremely creative instrumental track, which demonstrated Matt's willingness to push the music in new directions. 

The final song, “Goodbye to Everything,” was a clever conclusion to this nightmarish exploration into the sinister digital world that looks to control our minds and make us consume mindless content to become complete slaves to the corporate masters. If you were to ask me about the new release's sound quality, I would say that this is one of the best sounding Pale Cremation releases to date, especially the guitar sound on each of the tracks which was HEAVY as all hell. Overall, I would highly recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of monstrous sounding jams along with some really eye opening science fiction themed lyrics. I have to give credit to Matt as he continues to come up with some killer sounding releases. I'd recommend getting the kids off of that TikTok crap and start making them listen to some Pale Cremation, that way humanity might have a chance at survival when the machines take over. 

Listen to the entire release below: 

Pale Cremation Bandcamp :

https://palecremation.bandcamp.com/album/ep-vii-consume

Crawl Below "Around The Circle, Around The Snake"

    Once you start listening to the new Crawl Below album, “Around The Circle, Around The Snake,” I can almost guarantee that you will become paralyzed with a mixture of hallucinogenic fear and fascination. When I first started listening to the album I felt as though I was walking around a surrealistic horror themed art exhibit, minus the douchey looking art snobs wearing fedoras and drinking shots of wheatgrass. 

    Charlie Sad Eyes, the mastermind behind Crawl Below, has always proven to be a dynamic musician willing to explore different styles of music on each release. From black metal to doom metal to even acoustic punk, Crawl Below’s discography is full of variety. I do believe that this allows Charlie to construct very unique sounding releases. If you liked how the last Crawl Below album sounded, then do not expect the next one to be a carbon copy, because that is just not how Charlie approaches recording music. Even though this new Crawl Below album does take a step in a different direction compared to the previous two albums, I still believe the production and attention to detail is profoundly present, which is why the album hooks you right away. 

    “Around The Circle, Around The Snake,” is a truly atypical sounding album featuring such a plethora of haunting arrangements. The album begins with a ghastly sounding organ composition which reminded me of something from out of a 70's occult themed horror movie. During the first song, “I Sacramentum,” I definitely felt that Charlie was going for a more cinematic approach on this album, but I did not truly comprehend the magnitude of unorthodox sounding creativity until I finished the entire album. Also, I really liked how he incorporated a very Darkthrone-esque style guitar riff to begin the second track, “II Reveltio.” The second song seemed to contain even more gloomy atmospheric noises and doomy spectral vocals as if Charlie was trying to summon some evil force from beyond to come and do his diabolical bidding. 

    The third track on the album, “III Desperatio,” blends together dark synth wave with doom metal elements, as well as some industrial touches to establish an unconventional sounding landscape. Even though the album is not written where you hear a bludgeoning riff followed by another bludgeoning riff, the compositions capture your imagination by bringing together mesmerizing melodies with hypnotic distorted atmospheres. Again, Crawl Below has a history of not writing the same sounding album, but I cannot stress the importance of how Charlie is a true savant when it comes to production. Hell, even if you are not a fan of the album’s direction and unorthodox approach by coming off as a disturbing cinematic film score, the overall attention to detail when pertaining to the recording quality is extremely impressive. 

    Conceptually, musically and creatively, “Around The Circle, Around The Snake,” checks all the boxes if you are looking for a new album that does not sound like what everyone else is doing at the moment within the metal/rock community. Crawl Below continues to be one of Charlie’s most striking musical projects which is saying something since he is involved in a variety of solid bands (Low Moments being another favorite of mine). Now, do I see a thrash metal elitist who wears a Municipal Waste shirt and smells like a brewery taking a liking to this album? Probably not, but then again the spellbinding atmospheric arrangements and sinister yet comforting doom like touches are very persuasive, just like how that Count Dracula was with all the ladies. 

Check out the track, "II Revolatio" below: 

Crawl Below Bandcamp:

https://crawlbelow.bandcamp.com/album/around-the-circle-around-the-snake

Trouble "Live in Stockholm"

    When it come to live albums, I have always noticed that the final product can either end up perfectly capturing that raw live sounding experience, or it can end up sounding like a catastrophic muddled mess. So when news came out that Hammerheart Records was going to be releasing a remastered version of Trouble’s 2002 live performances in Stockholm, Sweden on vinyl, I was instantly eager to hear how this album would end up sounding. 

    Over the years Trouble has amassed a strong cult following and is without question a band that will go down history as one of the most influential doom metal bands within the subgenre. This legendary Chicago based act has a truly impressive and exceptional discography, so when it comes down to selecting songs for a live set, they have a plethora of great material to choose from. I would say that the setlist is what stood out to me right away when I received this promo for the album, because the band definitely does a great job selecting songs from each of their classic albums. If you are a fan of albums such as Psalm 9, The Skull, Run to the Light, the 1990 self-titled album, Manic Frustration and Plastic Green Head, then you will quickly notice how each album is represented during this show. 

    For their opening song the band starts off with, “R.I.P.,” which is one of the my favorite songs from Trouble and in my opinion features some of the most fearsome sounding riffs. The band’s lead singer Eric Wagner sounds amazing and his delivery throughout the song perfectly compliments the intense and heavy arrangement. Also, the crowd noise injects this extra level of frantic energy into the overall mix, which really makes this opening track to the album hook you right away. Moving forward the band breaks out tracks like, “Come Touch the Sky,” “End of My Daze,” and “Plastic Green Head,” to appease the ravenous doom fanatics in the crowd. During the song, “End of My Daze,” Eric even gets the crowd to join in and sing along as the band hammers out that classic sounding doom riff that always seems to get stuck in my head after I listen to the song. 

    My favorite Trouble album is, “Run to the Light,” so I'm glad that the band included the title track from the album into this performance. To begin, Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell display some exceptional guitar work at the beginning of the song and throughout the track both guitarists compliment each other extremely well. If you listen to any Trouble release for that matter, then you will instantly notice how these two guitarists have some unbelievably strong chemistry. Along with the haunting yet dynamic guitar playing and bone crushing drum parts, Eric’s delivery is without question an important part of the band’s sound. During the song, “The Skull,” I was utterly amazed by how Eric took the music to an even heavier and more profound level with his vocal performance.

    To wrap the album up, the band selects a perfect encore track, “The Tempter,” which is from their debut album, “Psalm 9.” I have always liked how this song starts off slow with Eric project his haunting vocal aura around the doomy riffs, and then all of a sudden the band kicks it into 2nd gear by unleashing a tidal wave of catchy rhythmic destruction. Again, this was a great choice for the final song to this live release, but to be honest the band could have chosen any song from their past albums to finish and bet you that the crowd would have been rocking out until the very end.  

    Unfortunately Eric Wagner passed away last year, however, I strongly believe that this live album will serve as yet another testament to his exceptional contributions when pertaining to the world of hard rock and heavy metal. I highly recommend checking out this album if you are a fan of Trouble, or simply just a fan of killer sounding doom metal. Although the band might have not received a fair amount of attention from the mainstream rock and metal music press back in the day, they sure as hell have gained a loyal fanbase over the years with younger generations of metal fans still discovering their brilliant music and keeping the spirit of doom metal alive. 

Check out the song "End of My Daze" from the album below : 

Hammerheart Records Store (Album comes out September 2nd, 2022) :

https://hammerheartstore.com/

Links to Listen to the Album: 

https://troublemetal.lnk.to/liveinstockholm

Eric Wagner "In the Lonely Light of Mourning"

 

    Even though he may not have played in a band that sold millions of records and had chart-topping hit singles, Eric Wagner was a truly amazing singer and all around a genuine person. Best known as the lead singer of the iconic doom metal band, Trouble, Eric Wagner sang on such classic doom metal releases as, “Psalm 9,” “The Skull” and “Run to the Light.” After departing from Trouble Eric continued to record music and was involved in countless other projects over the years. 

    Last year when Eric passed away fans like myself were really hit hard by the news, especially since his music spoke to people on a very deep level. When the news came out that the label, Cruz Del Sur, was going to posthumously release Eric’s solo album in March of 2022, fans really appreciated the opportunity to hear what Eric was working on just before his passing. “In The Lonely Light of Mourning,” is honestly one of the most powerful releases I have ever heard in my life, and Eric is able to say goodbye to all his fans with an album that combines years of wisdom coming from a man who did what he enjoyed most until his final days. 

    The origins of this solo album can be traced around 2017 when Eric and Dave Snyder (former Trouble/current Blackfinger drummer) started working together on some ideas that would eventually become, “In the Lonely Light of Mourning.” The album also features a handful of other musicians, most of whom had worked with Eric in the past. I believe what listeners will notice right away about this album is that the musicianship sounds very tight and the compositions are extremely well recorded. From top to bottom, the overall solid sounding production allows the music to flow with a tremendous synergy. 

    Each of eight tracks on this album explores very similar lyrical concepts that Eric explored during his time in Trouble along with his other groups. “Rest In Place” and “Maybe Tomorrow” are two very thought provoking tracks featuring some extremely catchy yet also very haunting sounding riffs. One of my favorites off of the album, “If You Lost Is All,” takes listeners on this gloomy journey with some very melancholy sounding string arrangements to accompany the song’s very somber tone. The song makes you put a lot of concepts about life into perspective, and the lyrics are written with such honest and reflective artistic expression. 

    The album also features some really juggernaut sized doom riffs like on, “Strain Theory,” which opens up the gates and unleashes a flurry of titanic sounding doom. I believe Eric had a great mind for writing music, because he was able to take listeners on this profound emotional joyride with his lyrics, while also capturing listeners’ imaginations with those catchy classic hard rock and heavy metal arrangements. On the album’s final song, “Wish You Well,” I really enjoyed the song’s tempo, which reminded a lot of classic Trouble songs. Plus, Eric offers up a very strong chorus section with the lyrics, “If you are in heaven, or in hell, either way, I wish you well.” The lyrics are not overly complicated, but the words create a vivid and enlightened message of being able to let go and move on from certain feelings. 

    After listening to this album a fair amount of times before I started writing this review, I came to the conclusion that even though Eric is no longer with us, his impact and contributions will never be forgotten. “In the Lonely Light of Mourning,” was written and recorded in such a manner that I believe a lot of rock and metal fans will take notice. Eric along with all the other musicians who worked on this album did an amazing job crafting these songs. Again, Eric Wagner might not have gained the same fame and notoriety within the rock and metal world as some other singers, however his music will always be remembered by those who cherished and respected his musical contributions. 

Check out the song "Maybe Tomorrow" below : 

Places where you can purchase the album :

https://ericwagner.bandcamp.com/

and

http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/

When the Deadbolt Breaks "As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy"

    When the Deadbolt Breaks perfectly conjures up gloomy atmospheres and trippy instrumental compositions that leave you floating through a void of mind altering darkness on their new release, “As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy.” Just in time for Halloween, this group of psychedelic doom metal musicians from Connecticut offers listeners an album that seems to draw inspiration from the haunting New England lore and lays down plenty of heavy mountain sized riffs of pure DOOM. 

    This is not just another doom metal band that drinks cheap beer, has members that look like Dog the Bounty Hunter and writes the same Sabbath "Vol. 4" like riffs for an entire album until you become completely bored to death. The band draws from a plethora of influences and composes their songs with a great deal of dynamic sounding arrangements. From clean vocals to the harsh vocals that sound as if someone has become completely enraged and ready to just throw down a vicious flurry of punches, the band provides very refreshing tracks that keeps you listening with great interest. Right away on the album’s opening twelve minute track,”I Live in the Dirt,” you are greeted with this monumental surge of distorted energy and massive sounding arrangement. The drums echo like thunder across the cold landscape bringing a juggernaut of rhythmic force. 

    On the second track, “Cleanse the Death,” there is a more sludge like approach conjured up to invoke this spectral sounding atmosphere. The overall riff may not be the most technically challenging sounding riff, however, the band is more focused on atmosphere and experimenting with a variety of haunting tones. On the album’s third track, “Gods Eyes,” there is more monstrous aggression thrown into the mix, which I think can appeal to those listeners who desire hard hitting meaty sounding doom riffs. 

    Honestly, the fourth song on this album, “Forever in the Fire,” is the real show stopper in my opinion. From the song’s solemn sounding beginning that lulls you into this utterly calm trance like state that is slowly scorched away by a firestorm of rage from the singer's harsh sounding vocal delivery. The guitar work throughout the track is sublime sounding and guitar effects create this sounds to capture your imagination, thus leaving you listening in true amazement as the song evolves. 

    For their final song on the album, the band offers listeners a cover song, “Not to Touch the Earth,” which was originally written by The Doors. I definitely liked how the band keeps the original song's frantic psychedelic sound, but also injects more haunting doom touches throughout the recording. I would best describe it as a cross between The Doors and Type O Negative, so you sort of get the best of both worlds. 

    “As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy,” is an album that find conveys a variety of sounds and creative ideas which listeners will be able to take away. When the Deadbolt Breaks is a band that I personally find to be extremely fascinating and writes extremely solid pieces of music. Also, when experimenting with different sounds, one must still have the ability to bring every together, otherwise it ends up sounding like a boiling pot of garbage noise that would not get played on a public access network no matter much money the band's parents have to offer. When the Deadbolt Breaks is no where near that level of pond dwelling scum sucking humanoids, so definitely check this album out! 

The album is being released through Electric Talon Records/link below to bandcamp:

https://talonrecordsusa.bandcamp.com/track/cleanse-the-death

Indus Valley Kings “Self-titled Debut Album”

   Indus Valley Kings lays down the monolithic sized heavy doom thunder with their self-titled debut full-length release. This trio of musicians takes listeners on a ride through an ancient city full of groovy sounding doom and pure vintage sounding ass kicking rock and roll.

   As much as you hear the doom influences throughout the album, you also get this straightforward hypnotic hard rock sound which then makes way for some really catchy riffs. The musicianship is extremely tight and I find that this trio has a truly massive sound when hammering out their arrangements. Also, the singer’s vocal style provides a nice touch to the groovy sounding compositions that one can hear throughout the album. From top to bottom, there is not much to complain about and the production is very impressive as well. 

   The opening track is a crushing jam called, “Angels,” which sets up this fuzzy sounding riff laden atmosphere that comes sweeping across the musical landscape faster than a sonic titan. As I’ve stated before, the musicianship is very tight sounding and keeps you fully engaged once the band begins playing. Fans of classic 70’s hard rock that has that doomy psychedelic sound will really dig the slower more haunting instrumental arrangements that can be heard on tracks like, “The Method” and “Devil.” The guitar playing really stands out, especially when the guitarist dives into a mesmerizing solo that rips through these addictive sounding scales. 

   Other songs worth noting are “Phoenix” and “Rest in Waste,” which continue to explore the ancient distorted pathways first established by bands like Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Witchfinder General and Black Sabbath. “Phoenix,” is full of bombastic sounding compositions that take you through all sorts of twists and turns in terms of tempo changes. In the end, the band keeps the music flowing and doles out a mighty helping of blazing doom. You really have to give the drummer credit for maintaining such a solid sounding rhythm section that can be used by the guitarist and bassist for them to construct these monstrous sounding riffs. 

   Overall, I find this to be an enjoyable release and one worth checking out if you are a fan of solid sounding doom music. With so many doom bands all looking the same in their promo photos and playing the same generic sounding riffs, you really have to find those acts that truly standout. I believe Indus Valley Kings has a sound and approach which helps them offer something a bit different compared to what you usually hear. To be quite honest, if the riffs are ridiculously catchy and you find yourself banging your head, then you know a band is worth your time. Also, make sure you turn the volume up to eleven on your stereo when playing this album! 

Check out the album below:

Indus Valley Kings Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Indusvalleykings

Indus Valley Kings Bandcamp:

https://indusvalleykings.bandcamp.com/album/indus-valley-kings

Pale Cremation "Masquerade in the Violet Theatre"

    Pale Cremation comes bursting out of the smoke filled catacombs with yet another blazing release! This one-man doom project from Cleveland, Ohio offers listeners an all out ceremonial riff fest with the release of, “Masquerade in the Violet Theatre.” 

    Matt Lasserre, the musical mastermind behind Pale Cremation, definitely knows how to throw down some heavy jams. From his time playing bass in the bands Scrape the Earth and Mournful Cries, Matt has always been a passionate player and creative musician. Even though there are only two tracks on this new release, listeners are still given plenty of wicked sounding riffs and catchy sounding slabs of haunting doom. Hell, there is even a song that goes on for about 19 minutes! 

    The first song titled, “The Burning,” is a scorching piece of feverish sounding doom mixed with some grunge elements. The song convey’s that rebellious and unapologetic attitude that gets people banging their heads and raising their fists. Hell, I think the Undertaker could have used this as his theme song during his American Badass run! In a world where there are few bands that are capable of writing a strong piece of music that leaves an impact, I believe that, “The Burning,” is the making of something really special. 

    The second track, “Masquerade in the Violet Theatre,” is definitely more of a doom metal odyssey and as I mentioned before, it goes on for about 19 minutes. Fans of Sleep and Om will definitely be drawn to the trippy slower compositions. Sometimes there are certain riffs you want to hear repeated, especially if the guitar and bass effects used give off that cosmic vibe that makes you feel like you are traveling through a psychedelic void where the distorted sounds slowly melt your mind. 

    Pale Cremation’s new release is definitely worth checking, as wells the band’s entire discography for that matter. Even though Matt does not have a major record label pouring thousands of dollars down the drain for him to record an album and waste expenses on gourmet cuisine and bowls of brown M& M’s, he is coming up with some extremely creative compositions. I really respect Matt’s creative vision on this new release, as well as his ability to avoid cranking out the same monotonous sounding doom tracks by experimenting with different arrangements and putting some enthusiasm into the overall mix. In the end, just another killer release from Pale Cremation and one that doom fans should definitely check out. 

Pale Cremation Bandcamp:

https://palecremation.bandcamp.com/album/masquerade-in-the-violet-theatre

Afghan Haze "Nihilistic Stoner Hymns"

    Get ready to be buried in a mammoth sized smokey cloud of savage doom with the release of Afghan Haze’s, “Nihilistic Stoner Hymns.” This Connecticut doom outfit throws down a sonic titan like ass kicking that will knock doom fans off their feet and have them laying around on the floor as if they were just given a chokeslam from The Undertaker. 

    The riffs on this album are monumental sounding and the more sludge/death metal like vocals inject an unapologetic attitude into the musical landscape. I know a lot doom bands right now want to sound like Ozzy with their vocals, however, I respect the bands that know how to right heavy grooving riffs and then change things up by unleashing some monstrous sounding vocals. Plus, when some bands try to sound like Ozzy they end up sounding like a grandma who took the wrong morning medication. 

    Afghan Haze’s sound is delivered with such conviction and ruthless aggression that you become instantly hooked when this band tears into one of their songs. Listeners will notice that this album is anything but a snooze fest full of cheaply made Sabbath like riffs. The band opens the album with a massive banger called, “Burn the Goat,” which comes bursting through the soundscape like a demon rising from the ground that then drags you straight down into a fiery inferno. You truly feel each chord strike and cymbal hit to where you begin to drift away into a hazy void of cataclysmic doom. Some of the following tracks like, “Blood Ritual” and “(Welcome to) Drug Mountain,” continue to highlight this band’s more savage like approach to doom metal, while also adding some abysmal sludge like touches. 

There are quite a few songs on this album that may not feature the most technically advanced compositions to be written in the world of metal music, however, the overall atmosphere is what really stands out. I get tired of people saying, “I’ve heard this before,” or “this is nothing new.” To all those douche music fans, please go listen to your obscure progressive djent tech death jazz influenced albums and ride around on your old fashion bicycles and let us enjoy some badass sounding music while you hangout in your hipster hovels near the Dublin, CA Bart Station. 

    Moving on from my rant there, the one track that really caught my attention and made this album for me was, “Southern Bastard Church.” Talk about a ferocious world obliterating piece of music! The slower more diabolical sounding rhythms create a horror inducing vibe that honestly makes this band a force to be reckoned with in the world of doom metal. 

Overall, the album does not disappoint from the first track to the last ear shattering distorted riff. Also, solid musicianship and production helps this band stand out from the usual suspects that need to understand how having an evil sounding band name does not make your music anything special. Afghan Haze definitely impressed me with their style and approach on this album and I know that there is a world wide horde of fanatical diehard worshipping doom fans who will want to give this album a listen.

Check out the entire album below via 666MrDoom's channel (Great channel that I recommend subscribing to if you enjoy doom) : 

Link to the band's bandcamp to where you can buy the album: 

https://afghanhaze.bandcamp.com/

Crawl Below "9 Mile Square"

The history of early America is extremely fascinating and the legends that come out of the New England region always seem to drive a powerful artist interest. Crawl Below’s new album, “9 Mile Square,” revisits the early days of Norwich, Connecticut and descends into this historic themed world by writing some mesmerizing post-metal riffs that construct these utterly majestic sounding atmospheric landscapes. 

Crawl Below is a one-man project conjured up by the artist known as Charlie Sad Eyes, who also is involved in countless other projects around the Connecticut area. The band's sound is driven by these astonishing doom like atmospheres that wash over you like a calming mist from the ocean. You hear the solemn melancholy influences of artists like Type O Negative and Katatonia, as well as the captivating musical landscapes that one hears in atmospheric black metal. Each track is a beautiful offering of harmonious sounding darkness that blankets the musical landscape like morning fog after an evening of heavy rain.

The opening track, “Feed the Towers Above the Trees,” pulls the listener right into an eye opening world of monumental sounding guitar arrangements and haunting melodic vocals. There is a strong synergy throughout the song which can also be said about the rest of the album. The second track, “Fire on the Hill,” starts off with a potent surge of raw emotion that soon mellows out for yet another tranquil exploration into a spellbinding musical void. Each instrument strengthens the gloomy world by harmoniously following along in unison to the song's spectral sounding atmosphere. 

When listening to the tracks on this album, I really believe that the attention to detail and emphasis placed on each verse and chorus section is what keeps you completely fascinated. Take for example track number three, “Kingdom of the Ruined,” which I would consider to be very reminiscent to that of Type O Negative. Just like how Peter Steele used to compliment the instrumental arrangements by providing a bone chilling vocal delivery, Charlie Sad Eyes invokes a similar sounding level of haunting energy when needed during the song. Also, the riffs move like a giant across the landscape gazing upon a bleak horizon with the echoes of cascading drum arrangements in the background. 

The rest of the album is very similar in terms of style and how Charlie Sad Eyes utilizes different musical elements to achieve his artistic vision. “Monument,” begins with a catchy distorted intro riff that travels down a pathway into a powerful sounding verse section. The last two songs on the album, “Tarnished the Name” and “9 Mile Square,” are two well written pieces of music that continue to  highlight the album's compelling theme by offering more grandiose compositions, while never succumbing to that painfully repetitive and unimaginative trap which can lose a listener after a while. 

I honestly did not think I would enjoy this album as much as I did, however, when looking back at this entire release I felt as though the music was written and recorded in such a genuine manner. There is no bullshit from start to finish and I do believe that Crawl Below’s “9 Mile Square,” is an anomaly in the modern metal world right now. The overall listening experience was highly enjoyable and there is little room for critique in my opinion. I definitely recommend this album for fans looking to break away from the repetitive metal trends that typically end up fading away after a short period of time. If you are looking for an atypical release that allows you to float away into a realm of dark tranquility, then you really need to check this album out.  

Check out the song "Kingdom of the Ruined" below:

Crawl Below Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/crawlbelow/

Crawl Below Bandcamp:

https://crawlbelow.bandcamp.com/

Deadlight Sanctuary "Thaumaturgical Rites of the Damned"

    Deadlight Sanctuary’s debut album, “Thaumaturgical Rites of the Damned,” is a deafening assault of ritualistic black metal and soul possessing doom metal. Musically I would have to say that the album is one of the most sinister sounding releases to come out this year, which is saying a lot given the amount of insanely vicious releases that I have reviewed since the beginning of this year.

    Deadlight Sanctuary is a solo project led by the mysterious and merciless artist know as “G,” who also plays in the Norwegian unforgiving extreme metal act Goatkraft. His approach to songwriting is primarily focused around crafting these massive sounding atmospheres of abysmal doom with a horrifying blackened edge, thus leading listeners down a path of unimaginable horror. One area of this album that stood out to me right away was the vocals. The demonic and gruesome vocal delivery is almost inhumane and sounds like something coming from another dimension. Take the vocals and match them with some monolith sized riffs, and you find yourself being consumed by a tidal wave of pure devastation. 

    The album is only about 25 minutes in length, however, once you start listening to the album you feel as though time stops as you embark on this blasphemous journey. The opening piece, “Psalm of the Fallen,” is a haunting introduction track containing eerie whispers and a primordial drum beat that could be used in an occult like ritual. The track really serves as an intro for the next song, “Trance of Doom,” which opens the gateways into a tormenting landscape of bombastic nightmarish sounds. The vocals echo over the instruments like a bloodthirsty ghoul screaming throughout some lost catacombs beneath the planet. 

    On the next song, “Unto the Kingdom,” you hear a more intense approach with faster rhythms that feverishly come blasting out of the speakers. I will say that compared to some bands that have a difficult time smoothly transitioning from slower more doom like compositions to the more chaotic black metal style, Deadlight Sanctuary is able to fluidly make the tempo change, while still maintaining a strong unholy tone throughout the song. 

    Track number four, “Abysmal Void,” is an instrumental piece that contains a very melancholy atmosphere with some solemn sounding chord progressions. The music is a pleasant sounding departure and lulls you into a false sense of tranquility right before the next song, “Deadlight Sanctuary.” On the album’s title track you are savagely thrown back into a pulverizing pit of despair and the music once again charges relentlessly forward with malevolent riffs violently crashing through the musical landscape. The final song on the album, “Cloaked in Lurking Fear,” is a thunderous bludgeoning of putrid sounding blackened doom and probably my favorite song off of the album. I think the song perfectly represents what Deadlight Sanctuary brings to the world of extreme music by offering listeners a dynamic approach to black metal that creatively injects some haunting doom elements as well. 

    “Thaumaturgical Rites of the Damned,” is going to be released on July 24th through Sentient Ruin Laboratories, a label that I find to be dominating 2020 in terms of exceptional releases. Deadlight Sanctuary joins an already stacked Sentient Ruin roster and like most bands that are on the label, Deadlight Sanctuary was able to carve their own distinctive sounding brutal mark with this debut release. The album is an overall fearsome sounding release that I highly recommend all extreme metal fanatics check out. I’ll be damned if it does not appear on some top ten metal albums of the year lists for 2020, as well as the top ten list for albums that would scare the shit out of a group of nuns. 

Check out the song "Trance of Doom": 

Deadlight Sanctuary Bandcamp:

https://deadlightsanctuary.bandcamp.com/releases