• …YOU MISSED • As part of our yearly recap the …You Missed series attempts to collect interesting releases I’d otherwise missed, didn’t cover, or didn’t appreciate until later. This is -NOT- a best of, but a collection of interesting curios worth mentioning as we reflect upon the year. // In an attempt to be more conversational these are more easygoing and casual than longform reviews, so relax and think for yourself. — If you find something you dig go tell the band on social media and support them with a purchase! If you’d like your music reviewed, read the FAQ and send promos to: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

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French epic heavy/doom metal quintet ECCLESIA return for a far more directly stated sophomore full-length album where their hymnal melodicism, traditional heavy metal strut-and-wail vocals, and choice talent for epic doom metal riffing in the most classic sense all amount to an entertaining ride through their church. Though you shouldn’t go in expecting a Candlemass clone ‘Ecclesia Militans‘ definitely has a bit of a trad/power metal howl to its main directive, closer to Dawn of Winter in some sense though helped along by cathedralesque keys and a solid guitar tone. This album is more lively, quicker to the point, layered in a much more intense way and as such it’d caught my ear much easier than their debut LP. It might speak louder to folks who appreciate a bit of a power/trad. heavy vocalist in front of their doom metal inspired work but I don’t see why a keep it true type wouldn’t be up for it just as well.

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Santa Clarita, California-based funeral doom metal artist DESOLATE SOLITUDE offer more of a science-fiction feeling drone piece to start here, extending the definition of doom to feeling more than practical riffcraft before we fall into line with “Beyond the Veils of Death” where it becomes more clear this is a solo, probably homebrewed project beyond its proper logo/artwork (both via Moonroot Art). The torsion of the landscape, the audio-terror of this albums slow-advance all signs point to something kind of rad ’til it becomes more clear that this is an instrumental only affair. My personal interest and investment halved at that point though there was some chanting of lyrics for “Desolate Solitude” which helped pull me back in. If they’d have brought more of those hymnal vocals into the mix I’d say the overall standard achieved might’ve been well above average but I still feel this is an artist/project to watch and I hear strong instincts being worked out all over this glacial/outer-spaced funeral doom idea.

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Hägersten, Sweden-based project BLISSFUL STREAM comes from the brilliantly curated mind palace of Martin Sällström who has done a particularly fine job of refining his songcraft and vocal personae on this sophomore full-length album. ‘Fighting For the Cross‘ begins with a sort of Lord Vicar feeling lurch, slow burnt but tense with declarative storytelling baked into its lyrics and what reveals from that unfurling of the title track’s infernal scroll is an epic doom metal album which is outside of time, a slow and anxious toil through the album’s trials. For my own taste this is probably one of, if not the, most underrated records on the traditional doom metal spectrum this year thanks to its slow-motion heavy rock inspired guitar work (“Chimaera”) and the bluesy, suffering motion of it all (“The Longest Road”.) If you’d prefer perfect, ultra-pro polish to your doom metal I’d argue that the job split between Studio Sinnesfrid and Audiosiege have done wonders for this album giving it a boost without losing the eerie sense of space occupied and its coldly echoing narration. It might surprise folks how much of a laid back jam this record is after the first track but I’d found songs like “Our Final Hour” just as serious only with a bit more swing to certain movements.

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Heredia, Costa Rica-based quartet AVERSION features former members of gothic rock/metal band The Eyes of Desolation alongside co-guitarist/vocalist Jorge Camacho (Age of the Wolf) and their take on doom metal is modern in the sense that it merges the atmospheric depth of post-metal with an inclination toward earlier Pallbearer in some respect. Harsh vocals, soaring/searching leads, and desolate moodiness make for an album which crumbles slowly as it steps forward. This is a fine example of there simply not being enough time to cover everything of value as November creates a bottleneck for the last gasp of the year’s releases, if it’d been released in August I’d have definitely taken the time to review and dig into it more in depth. Still, I would consider this one of the finer atmospheric treatments given to doom metal related craft this year and not for the sake of being a standard bearer so much as something unique, different enough to stick with me from the first listen.

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Returning after their exceptional fifth album ‘The Dark Side of Europa‘ (2020) felt like a resurgence of their ideals Rome, Italy-based quintet DOOMRAISER now present a sixth and most morbid album in ‘Cold Grave Marble‘, a feat which is studded with guest spots from extreme metal guitarists and meditations upon death abounding. They’ve still got some of that Cathedral-esque groove in some of their action but this album does an great job of staying focused on the consistency of its atmosphere while throwing some heavy rock fueled riffs in to keep things weirding on. Though I’d been a big fan of the previous LP this one hits the serious part of my brain far more often, even the side-steps (see: “Once Upon the Fireflies”) feel relevant to the overall mood of the experience. Catchier choruses, harmonized vocals taking a bigger role, and slow-burning pieces all add up to a fine album from my point of view.

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Barcelona, Spain-based solo project EXHUMATION comes from the bottomless abyss of Necrohelm, the fellow behind Sanctuarium and Trollcave among many other groups that’ve fallen under his incredibly prolific umbrella of gloom. The impressive thing isn’t that he’s written a ton of albums or that he’s a talent for many types of atmospheric extreme doom metal but rather that all of it is good, or, in this case great as a classic example of funeral death/doom metal with a hymnal, ethereal quality. While the album cover seems to reference Ceremonium the album recalls the best of Esoteric‘s earliest steps, Evoken, as well as some of the more performative/avant-garde funeral doom out of Finland and Sweden in the 90’s. I appreciate the artist’s talent for capturing the ‘old school’ feeling of extreme doom metal’s many nuances and in this case it feels like this is the most delicately crafted and mood-rich of his projects with the exception of his main black metal gig. A short but consistent funeral doom record that I’d found myself keen to leave on repeat for hours on end, particularly appreciating the group/clean vocals and the couple of heavier nods to death metal for the sake of a few riffs.

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Sardinia, Italy-based quartet ARKON waltz up to a stampede as this self-titled debut LP reveals its live-in-studio raw sound and heavy rock-stoked form of traditional heavy/doom metal. Wah pedals snap on, local mythos becomes the subject, chorales hum, and the NWOBHM inspired riffcraft of the band is probably what’d ultimately impressed me most thanks to their nasty guitar tone and the rocking tilt of the first several songs on this album. Just when you think you’re in for an album ruining ballad (three or four times) these folks manage to pull out a decent if not stellar riff which carries the song-by-song experience beyond the vocals which I believe are in the Sard language, bearing a unique accent that characterize the impact of each song. Overall the album is a bit too Witchcraft-level chilled out for my own taste but when these guys are getting rowdy their whole deal feel ancient and profound.

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Sardinia, Italy-based solo project ASCIA comes from Fabrizio Monni who is best known for his work in Black Capricorn and the style and its core inspiration is made clear enough upon approach as he takes on the bustle of ‘Surrounded by Thieves‘-era High on Fire in terms of guitar work, tone and overall sound design. While the overall sound of this debut LP isn’t particularly original at a glance their take on the battle-doom riff and the way the guitarist plays around with this mammoth rhythm tone is yet entertaining, particularly as they take their time developing elaborate slow-marching introductions for some of the longer ~6 or so minute pieces. Outside of the obvious points of pressure here the lot of the experience is still rooted in psychedelic doom metal and sludgier permutations where songs like “Ruins of War” and “Samothrace” kinda have some classic structure to their reveals, not quite early The Gates of Slumber but not too far removed from that era.

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Valparaíso, Chile-based quintet MOURNERS LAMENT bring something freshly abstract, ranting and hymnal to their own long-developed hand in melodic death/doom metal. Their tonal inspiration is inherently Anathema-esque by design and technically gothic by association but this troupe made up of members from well-loved doom metal bands (Mortajas, King Heavy, and Lacrymae Rerum) doesn’t shy away from the death metal side of things which might amount to simple chugging walls of steel riffs or mid-paced whorls of rhythm clashing wildly (“The Clear Distance”) which’d end up being my favorite parts of the whole deal. Despite quite a lot of this album being given to launching each extended piece with dramatic introductory movements it does ultimately create a sense of chaotic dramatism which I’d found entertaining. Though I’m typically looking for more direct to skull riffs I’d appreciated the consistent stampeding quality of each song at peak action.

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Barcelona, Spain-based trio SANTACREU present a different approach to post-metal influenced doom metal with ‘Canc​̧​ons d’Amor, Dol i Enyoran​ç​a‘, a debut which veers into the glow of (nearly) progressive landscapes as it ducks much of the expected tradition associated with these sounds. The riffs crunch up to some degree here but the greater appeal of this record comes in the Catalan-sung vocals which are centered around faith. Moody post-metal without too much gloss, pained and soaring vocals, and some attempts at shoegaze-like drift (“La Sequera”) charm a bit here even if the “doom” part of the equation was generally missing for my own taste but this was made up for on songs like “Les Cicatrius” where they’d presented some hits of extreme metal inspired movement which felt unique enough. If their work was more tuneful and less centered around the feeling of sunlit ascension it might’ve stuck a bit more but I’d appreciated the level of craft and overall moodiness of this album enough to recommend it.

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