Ommadon "IV"

Ommadon are Ewan Mackenzie (Drums, Keyboards, Noise) and David Tobin (Guitars, Noise) an independent duo and former members of mythical Scottish doom band Snowblood. Now as Ommadon, both Ewan and David are committed in making some heavy doom/drone atmospheres. "IV" was recorded all by themselves in the highlands of Scotland. All live, no overdubs and mastered by Billy Anderson. Basically "IV" consists in two tracks reaching in total, almost one-hour of length. The first track, "In the presence of absence",  is a rich composite of sounds and textures that unfold gently, slowly giving way to a pit of noise and distortion, filled by this instrumental barrier composed of drums, guitar and noise, quite in the style of a Moss, Atavist or even Gog if you seek comparisons, to which the band crushes and reduces to dust the frame that was early designed at the beginning of this track that started well by way of foreplay and now ends in climax. "Beyond opposition", a 26 minute long beast, soon reveals the monster that is, stuffed with decibels moving at a very slow pace, the pace of a snail, circling around us and tightening the siege on every passing minute, suffocating us until our own very end. It is true that it doesn't introduces anything new within' the genre, but if you like your doom/drone quite thick and full of decibels, then I invite you to spend an hour in the hands of Ommadon. I, personally I'm a sucker for this kind of beasts. "IV" is available in CD with an all hand-crafted packaging, head straight to the band website or contact them through their Facebook page.

 IV

ARRM "Sand"

Time to chill a little bit here on Forever Cursed. To get you in a zen mode for the weekend i bring you today ARRM, a Polish duo formed by A. and M. who create some brilliant experimental atmospheric music. "Sand" serves basically two atmospheric tracks where both create a very relaxing journey into the desert landscapes of experimental instrumental music. "Sand" is a very chilling, psychedelic track while "Black Water" is a more hypnotic journey into the unknown territories of drone where ethereal layers of notes exhaled by the guitars put us in a state of numbness conducting us to a secret inner peace. Ideal music for listening in perfect isolation in the heart of nature. Recommended for fans of Barn Owl, Brian Eno, Crone, MGR.

ARRM

Impia "Our Failures Become Us

Impia are a 3 piece Drone/Doom band based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. After over a year since their first release, they have just put out a second EP entitled "Our Failures Become Us", over 30 minutes of devastatingly crushing doom metal.

This album was forged in fires of ever-burning regret and cooled in waters of deep seated anquish. Feelings of overwhelming disgust for self and species fuels this lethargic, ongoing movement towards extinction. Reflecting the carnage that rages inside and out of everything breathing and that will eventually consume us all.

As a DIY release "Our Failures Become Us" presents some quality above the average. Impia's sound is murky and dreary drawing us images of desolation, emptiness and negativity. The opening track "Broken and Disgraced" speaks for itself, just read again the title. A journey of approximately thirteen minutes through a field filled with riffs that almost graze the edge of drone while the drum sets the pace through this desolate field of negative doom. "Abysmal Swell of Self Degredation" continues to follow the same trail left by the previous track. Extended riffs obscured by some noise in the background, whose job is to create a denser atmosphere, continue to punish us along another thirteen minutes. But from there on, right on the middle of the track, it develops and gives space to some more dynamic riffs in the vein of bands like Bongripper or even Pelican. The third and last track "Consumed Pt. 1" unveils an environment laden with grief and so thick that you could almost cut it with a knife. Once again we are struck with merciless riffs that corrupt and consume our soul. The fact of Impia not having vocals makes us focus more on the music itself. Every note, every riff, every beat is thoroughly dissected by our ears, making this unholy message of doom grow in us in a much more objective way.

Overall, Impia brings us a fine sample of a well-executed sludge/drone/doom piece. Their sound shows some character and power but i strongly believe that they can do much more than this. I would like to hear more of this young band, but for now I'll have to content myself with this record. As DIY artists I'm not gonna put a download link this time (sorry). It's merely 5$. Feel free to contact them here if you would like a physical release.

Check these guys out and support them the best way you can. Recommended for fans of Bongripper, Monno and other brutal instrumental doom acts.

ruthless doom

This Will Destroy You "Tunnel Blanket"

"Tunnel Blanket" delivers the epic-in-scope soundscapes that followers of its makers’ previous recordings are accustomed to, but presents them in new lights – where once the sun shone down bright upon immediate tropes and traits, now their work is better suited to distant starlight, casting changeable shadows across vistas of inspired, ambitious amplification. This is not an album to pick through in search of bold hooks and instant melodies. It is an ever-shifting, always moving work, which seems to evolve before the listener – spidery guitar lines feeling their way forth like vines scrambling up trunks in time-lapse photography. An amazing and unique album is what i think. These guys have picked post rock and added some dreamy ambient layers to it and the result is this superb piece of sound. The opening track "Little Smoke" and the track "Communal Blood", are just mind-blowing. They start as calm sea, like a mirror, and then just turn into a fuckin' tsunami of sound in slow motion. Another favorite of mine from last year. Buy it here, in vinyl, cassette or CD. Highly Recommended!

listen | blanket of sounds

Braveyoung "We Are Lonely Animals"

Do you remember the band Giant? That played that sludgy post metal in the likes of Mouth Of The Architect? And even released a nice album called "Song" some years ago? Well, Giant has changed its skin.. they are now known as Braveyoung, and like their name, their sound changed drastically too. But it's still intense i can assure you that. North Carolina’s Braveyoung are a post instrumental rock band and this is their first full length entitled "We Are Lonely Animals". The band now offers some hypnotic and introspective instrumental tracks that will immerse you into some cold, foggy and lonely landscapes. This was one of my favorite Non Metal Albums of 2011. Absolutely recommended for fans of Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You, Mono, etc. Buy it here.

listen | narrow lights in the distance

Jackal-Headed Guard of The Dead

From the darkest nightmare realms of Edinburgh come the dreaded Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead. Nameless horrors of lurid abomination doth lurk within the instrumental doom played by these three accursed practicioners of subsonic malevolence. I discovered this Lovecraftian sludge/doom inspired trio thru an interview i read from my good friends Of Spire & Throne. Loud and slow. Check them out.

bandcamp | unleash the hounds of hell

Aelter

One of several side-projects to emerge from the Wolvserpent camp, Aelter is the solo effort of Wolvserpent guitarist Blake Green. With Aelter, Blake explores a similar realm of dark majestic sound to Wolvserpent, with his massive downtuned guitar roar and bleak minor key melodies being the common thread between the two projects. But where Wolvserpent blends this chugging Melvins-esque heaviness and haunting slowcore arpeggios with violins, pounding drums, and a propensity for extended hypno-dirges, Aelter dispenses with the drums almost completely and goes for a more cinematic approach using layered keyboards and gorgeous harmonized voices that reminds me of something you would have heard on Beggers Banquet or 4AD being fused to a malevolent black heaviness. Both of the Aelter albums were only released on vinyl in limited editions of a few hundred copies and are close to going out of print completely, "Dusk/Dawn & Follow You/Beloved" is a special journey into new landscapes of majestic sound. One of the most amazing album of the genre. Buy it here fast. Recommended.

listen | from dusk till dawn

Drought

Drought vêm de Santa Fé, e tocam um doom meio embalado com um drone instrumental, actualmente estes 4 temas compõem a sua Demo, estando a banda actualmente a trabalhar para lançarem o seu primeiro álbum. Apesar de eu estar já aborrecido de bandas sludge/doom instrumentais, nesta Demo a única coisa que peca é mesmo a ausência de um vocalista, se conseguissem ali no meio meter uma voz meio àspera à la Graves At Sea, então aí seria a cereja no topo do bolo.. mas esta é apenas a minha opinião. Mas a banda mesmo assim consegue inovar e pelo meio meter uns laivos black metal, como se pode ouvir na faixa “PEYOTE PRIESTRESS”. De resto está um bom álbum de doom ambiental que nos pode causar algumas visões mais abstractas.

bandcamp | antler skull rocks