Föhn - Condescending

There aren't many other funeral doom debuts that begin with an assault of saxophones. But Föhn do it. Actually two saxophones, because they went to the trouble of getting a tenor and a soprano. Not necessarily at the same time. But there's much more to Condescending than just the presence of saxophones, and the dark jazz influence that comes therefrom, mostly because of how versatile Föhn are with making that funeral doom have even more mellow atmospheric melodicism, or more despondency, or even more evocative gloom. For a genre that's already focused on atmosphere, Condescending makes it very easy to get immersed in it.

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Marche Funèbre - After The Storm

After The Storm is Marche Funèbre’s most melodic album to date, a sad and melancholic offering that is also full of triumphant harmonies, with unique-sounding clean and deep harsh vocals contrasting each other, and with riffs that hit hard and stay long in the memory. Almost sounding like a lost Peaceville band of the ‘90s, the Belgians have come up with music that any of these legendary Peaceville bands must be envious of.

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Mother Of Graves - The Periapt Of Absence

In the tradition of the genre’s pioneers, Mother Of Graves present death-doom charged with emotion, conveying loss, longing, and despair through anguished guitar leads, smothered piano, stirring violin, and vocals that range from beleaguered spoken words to wretched growls. The Periapt Of Absence sounds raw and haggard, exhausted with sorrow. And yet it doesn’t neglect the death side of things, with several aggressive, high-speed passages to be found throughout, and even a sense of mystery at times. Mother Of Graves never lose their center; they have a well-rounded sound that reaches the broken heights of ravaged death-doom.

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Mourning Dawn - The Foam Of Despair

On the sixth full-length album by the French blackened doom metal institution Mourning Dawn, the dynamism of post-metal merges with the crushing heaviness of atmospheric sludge; pitch-black doom metal in the vein of Deinonychus intertwines with depressive black metal that conjures memories of Shining and Xasthur; trippy trap beats transition into industrial metal; and when guest vocalist Déhà lends his voice to the track “Blue Pain“, an unmistakable gothic metal vibe emerges, reminiscent of Paradise Lost’s mid-career era. However, what truly sets The Foam Of Despair apart is not merely the sum of its diverse influences, but the way each individual element—from the spoken-word passages and jazz-infused dissonant saxophone to the unexpected guitar solos—intensifies the album’s core atmosphere: a pure and unending despair that seeps from every pore of the musicians involved.

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Officium Triste - Hortus Venenum

2024 saw the Dutch death-doom band Officium Triste deliver another outstanding effort in Hortus Venenum. Adding to a pretty much faultless discography, this 7th full-length album also marked their anniversary of 30 sorrowful years. Hortus Venenum showcases more beautifully dark, melancholic death-doom, captivating listeners through its mournful soundscapes and emotionally stunning performances that really cut deep into one's soul. If you've ever wondered why Officium Triste are renowned masters in the art of death-doom, then Hortus Venenum is your answer.

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Sanctuarium - Melted And Decomposed

The main adjective you'd use to describe Melted And Decomposed is "heavy". Immensely heavy. A reverberating wave of riffs grinds along at a snail's pace as indiscernible, echoing growls enhance the subterranean atmosphere. The album takes its time, dragging you down bit by bit. And then, as soon as you find yourself deep within the claustrophobic soundscape, the riffs change from lethargic to groovy, lighting up the swampy air with electrifying energy. Hailing from Spain, Sanctuarium offer a truly immersive experience full of droning passages and sinister underworld riffs.

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Slimelord - Chytridiomycosis Relinquished

Chytridiomycosis, in case you were wondering, is a fungal disease that is currently, and without evident solution, devastating amphibian populations worldwide; the infection poses a severe threat to frogs and all their slimy-skinned brethren all across the globe. And now that you know, your first thought is, of course, “I want ugly, bloated, squidgy, creepy-crawly death-doom that sounds just like that.” Well, here you are, sicko: Slimelord’s latest paean to moist filth, this time in full-length form. Chytridiomycosis Relinquished is more ooze than album: loosely structured, noisy, dissonant, full of vomitory vocals and eerie, aqueous effects. Be careful not to get lost in Slimelord’s hypnosis; when you wake up, you’ll be covered in mold.

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Spectral Voice - Sparagmos

After Eroded Corridors Of Unbeing became one of the biggest staples in the modern doom-death sound, there have only been teasers in the form of splits with various other bands, and with three of the members being in Blood Incantation and that band getting so much success in the underground, it seemed like Spectral Voice was sidelined. Well, not anymore. Sparagmos takes its predecessor's sound and pushes the two extremes, the slow doom and the fast death, even further, and each time in a slightly different way. The dynamics on this album are immense, feeling calculated without being overly cerebral, like a balance whose reaches are wide.

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The Flight Of Sleipnir - Nature's Cadence

The Flight Of Sleipnir have come a long way since their debut, Algiz + Berkanan, back in 2009. Having evolved their sound over the years and with each release of a new album, they remain the best band out there next to Agalloch doing metal that blends doom, melodic black, acoustic folk, and post-rock. The immersive atmosphere they build and the excellent combination of the aggressive and the introspective are parts of Nature's Cadence, which is nothing less than another unique meditative journey by a band that knows how to do it more convincingly than almost anyone else out there. And it all comes wrapped in stunning cover artwork.

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Tzompantli - Beating The Drums Of Ancestral Force

Tzompantli return with a sophomore album that improves upon their debut album in every single way, solidifying their identity and perfecting their sound in the process. Beating The Drums Of Ancestral Force is a punishing D-beat-laced death/doom metal album that truly captures the essence its title suggest. Dark folk elements also make an appearance thanks to the hypnotic wind and percussion instruments. At less than 45 minutes, Beating The Drums Of Ancestral Force is one of the shortest doom metal albums we have nominated for our awards. But Tzompantli make the most out of the time they have with meticulously written songs filled with crunchy riffs, imposing drums, and malicious growls. Prepare to immerse yourself in this disturbing world, unless you want to be the central figure of an Aztec human sacrifice.

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