Metal Briefs: Bandcamp, Part 3

The Doom Edition

I keep slugging through Bandcamp looking for free or pay-what-you-want music that's worth your time. Here's a little of what I found in the slow and heavy category.

Domovoyd: Mythonaut EP (2011)

Domovoyd is a Finnish stoner doom band, and the Mythonaut EP is a clear statement that these guys have listened to a lot of Electric Wizard. Heavy riffs, high-pitched clean vocals, and long psychedelic freak-outs make it an obvious choice for EW fans. But they give the formula a twist with a sludgy edge that's sometimes violent, sometimes faster and more upbeat. Even if their production quality isn't in the same league, the music is interesting (even the psychedelic parts), although they do drag out "Summoning (Part 2)" a tad. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.




Lycus: Demo 2011

Lycus is a funeral doom band out of Oakland, California. (I wonder if they've shared a stage with Embers?) They bear a lot of melodic resemblance to Swallow the Sun, but it's slower and all of the vocals are growled. The first two songs on the three-song demo are fantastic, and the third is not exactly a throwaway either. Check the soul-shaking reverb on "Among the Ruins" or the screaming fast section in "Aghast". It's a treat. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Thanks to Metal Bandcamp for pointing the way.



At the Graves: II (2010)

At the Graves is a sludge/doom band from Maryland. They play slow sludge with hardcore-style shouts, lots of dissonance, and some unusual rhythms. It reminds me a lot of early Isis, before they figured out the whole "post-" thing. The album's best cuts are not up front, so it doesn't really grab you right away, but it definitely gets going. It's good stuff, deserving of a 3.5 out of 5 star rating.