Looking for great Doom metal bands?
Look no further, cause I can recommend you some of the best.
First of all, Saturnus.
They are from Denmark and they play great Doom.
Check out their debut, Paradise Belongs to You, it is released on Euphonious records in 1997. It is probably their best, although the follow-ups, For Lonely Loveless Nights (1998) and Martyre (2000) also kick ass.
Paradise is more like Bride (Swans era) with great growling vocal, atmospheric keyboards and phantastic guitar work, while Martyre is a perfect documentation of obvious Anathema worship (Eternity/Enigma era).
For Loveless Lonely Nights is mini CD with 2 songs live and 4 new songs (containing the track 'Starres', the best Doom metal anthem ever to me).
Then there is Yearning, from Finland.
Their 1997 debut With Tragedies Adorned is awesome (on Holy Records).
Like Saturnus, also containing great vocalist who can carry melodies that will haunt you till the rest of the day(or night).
The album is compared to Bride, but it has stronger melancholic mood(thanks to vocal melodies), crushing guitars(crossed with acoustic passages) and epic keyboards swirling in the background.
The 1999 follower, Plaintive Scenes represents Yearning in more experimental way.
The album kicks ass, and the only album that springed to my mind when I played it for the first time was Arcturus' La Masquerade Infernale (but in the gothic/doom way, can you imagine such perfect thing?).
Containing growls of Bride, epic vocals of Borknagar, oboe,flute & some gentle female vocals, lots of guitar effects & heavy guitar distortions, acoustic touches, and again the symphonic keyboards; all this in purpose to picture an epic scenery(and depressive landscapes of their homeland).
Really a masterpiece, unfortunately Holy didn't have enough strong distribution and advertisement worldwide for this brilliant album, but I hope people will still succeed in reaching it, wherever they live.(it is worth of it, believe me)
The latest, Frore Meadow is not so crazy as Plaintive Scenes, but it is more reflexive, it has an atmosphere Katatonia and Anathema have. It is released in February 2001 and the production is still amazing.
These two bands are one of my favourite, I'm into them for two years and I think they are the only one who play high quality Doom these days. Check 'em out!
There is one band also for you Arcturus lovers, but it is little hard to find.
The band is called Esoteric, they are from England and their Metamorphogenesis album is enjoyable & crazy & weird(just like La Masquerade). It is released in 2000 on Eibon Records (Italian label). They play doom metal, but it is drown in the ocean of effects and lots of vocals(screams,growls,roars and everything you can imagine). It is very monstrous at times, listener may feel like in some vortex (maybe that's how the Hell sounds,ha!).
And you will always hear something new.
(and I don't mean the melodies, just some another crazy effect or ANOTHER guitar weeping and screaming some crazy tunes).
Enjoy!
