Crimson Altar - MMXVII (2018)

The time has come to light the black candles and let the ritual commence, for Crimson Altar has arrived from Portland, Oregon and they will be leading the incantation with their newest release "MMXVII". They put out this demo in preparation for their upcoming full-length (due later this year) and if this is any indication of what's to come then they wield a shadowy power that may yet rule over us all. Crimson Altar is a wellspring of murky female-fronted doom metal with occult leanings and a sound that evokes the mystique of a spring night in Transylvania. There's an almost otherworldly duality here between the dusty riffs that feel like they're crawling out of the crypt and the fresh, nearly spiritual air that the flute and two acoustic guitar passages bring. The combination will leave you enchanted by the unnatural twilight and you may find yourself in a manic trance singing praises to Pan under the light of the full moon. Atop this are the bewitching vocals invite you to submit to your wicked inclinations and welcome the gloom of night as your mistress - and you'd have to be a fool to refuse. I'd say the band owes more to Bedemon than Blood Ceremony, but you can definitely hear the influence of both. So when you're ready to commit your heart to the darkness, you're going to want to check this out! -Brandon

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Thra - Mourn (2017)

Definitely file this under shit I missed in 2017. Well honestly, this only came out in December so I'm not too far behind on this one, but holy fuck is this a gnarly sounding blackened nugget of crust sludge. Like imagine Brainoil if you put them in the Blackened Sludge/Death Doom blender and you get Thra. This shit is nasty as fuck, and just as pissed off. These dudes play with the subtlety of cavemen, and are about as chill as a pack of mange-ridden wolves looking for their next meal. Ferocious and mean, these heavy. dissonant sun baked riffs are nothing to fuck with.
Like I mentioned Brainoil comes to mind, but when it comes to their guitar tone the only other band I can think of is Blessing The Hogs. It's a sound that's definitely more in line with other forms of Extreme Metal than your typical Stoner Doom or Sludge. Feedback is strewn between riffs and helps with creating a misanthropic atmosphere. The bass although it's hard to pinpoint sometimes in the mix, is most definitely there and it's distorted as fuck and fits right in with the overall nastiness of the band. The vocals are fantastic with its shrieking cries of hate and misery. There's also a lower death growl vocal that's employed at various times for great effect. Going along with the whole Extreme Metal vibe, the drummer seems to be avoiding the regular Stoner Doom or Sludge tendencies of just playing slow, and is pretty varied making use of interesting fills as well as decent foot work on the double kick.
I highly recommend this tasty sliver of rage inducing sludge. My only complaint is that this release is only 3 songs, and they're kinda short, so I'm definitely anticipating more! If you like your Sludge Doom being a few shades away from just being straight up Death Metal then this shit is probably for you. Great stuff! Cheers! -Samir

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Pale Grey Lore- Self Titled (2016)

This came out over the summer, but i'm now getting around to placing this tasty nugget in my bowl. Pale Grey Lore play heavy psych doom rock, with some proto metal and stoner influences as well. Don't let the catchy melodies and pop hooks fool you. There's definitely something sinister going on here, with hints of sabbathian riffage, and early Ghost and Uncle Acid for good measure. Puff and Pass if this seems like your thing. Cheers!

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Kinglord- Self Titled (2016)

This EP fucking rules! Swedish Doom Metal w/ clean vocals and droning synth over heavy slabs of thick detuned riffs. The cover art for this is fucking hilarious, and there's even a song on here called "Kim Bong Il". Genius! Puff and Pass if you're into Type O Negative, Monolord, and Slomatics. Cheers!

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Leafter- All We Need Is A Match (2016)

Heavy Stoner Doom Trio from Israel, plays nasty bowel shattering riffs in the middle of the desert. These weedians sound angry as fuck, and are ready to harsh any mellow. 

Light it up and smoke it if you're into Dystopia, Primitive Man, and Conan. Cheers!

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