Isole: Dystopia (2019)

Isole is yet another one of those bands that I checked out when I was living alone after starting my first job and found myself bored and flush with extra money, then never followed up afterwards.  I enjoyed album Bliss of Solitude, though it was very slow-paced.  They are a doom metal band after all.  But whether it was due to not having the magazine Metal Maniacs around after they closed up (which was where I found a LOT of new music) or just narrowing my focus, I never realized the band was still active and releasing albums.  I came across this one randomly on a label website and grabbed it since I remembered that I did like the band once upon a time.

This is at least the third album in my collection named Dystopia.  Of course that is a fairly stereotypical name for a metal album.  The other bands have been Megadeth and Iced Earth.  The Megadeth album is probably their best album in years.  The Iced Earth album was the band's first with Stu Block on vocals.  But enough about those, I just thought that fact was kind of interesting.

Isole is a Swedish epic doom metal band, incorporating stunning musicianship and majestic melodies into their sound.  The songs are grandiose and powerful, and they are quite long, none of them being less than six minutes in length.  This album is also heavier and darker than the other album I had heard by them.  That is at least partially due to the subject matter being so dark, dealing with several more negative emotions, depression and disillusionment.  The melodies are thus very somber and solemn, conveying the hopelessness of the lyrics well.

The highlight of the album, just as it has been with Isole is the incredible vocal performance of Daniel Bryntse.  Particularly powerful on "Written in the Sand", he can alternate easily between a deep yearning sound to a higher-pitched pained howl.  He remains the primary focal point throughout the album and with good reason.

I will try to remember this band from now on.  The vocals really are incredible and the album, though being slow, is quite powerful.  It is somber, yet beautiful.     

Underrated Doom Metal Albums Pt. 2 of 2

Sorry for the brief hiatus.

MORGION: CLOAKED BY AGES, CROWNED IN EARTH
Morgion is a U.S. death/doom band that is far closer to doom metal than death metal. The only real death metal elements are the occasional (very occasional) extreme vocals. Otherwise, the music is much more of a somber and solemn doom metal style. The music is very similar to My Dying Bride, in that the songs are long and very slow. This is not music to listen to while operating heavy machinery, but if you can put it on in a dark room, it will sound great to just sit and listen to.

SYRACH: DAYS OF WRATH
This Norwegian doom metal band also has some death metal elements in their music, but they are a little more obvious than those of Morgion. The vocals are very impressive: gravelly death metal-style growling. The music is slow and heavy with melodic guitar leads running throughout. "Stigma Diabolikum" is an incredible song, with a great lead running during the chorus and brudge. It's melodic, yet somber and pained. This album completely went under the radar but is a great example of death/doom from a country not really known for it.

ISOLE: BLISS OF SOLITUDE
The Swedish epic doom metal band Isole presents an extremely slow and melancholic album. The music is slow-building yet majestic. The band really does play epic music. The vocals are mostly done in a clean style and match up very well with the music. The riffs can be earth-shakingly heavy at times, yet the melodies still remain very powerful and strong. This is a very long album and it is slow, so patience is needed, but it is a very rewarding listen.

MISERY'S OMEN: MISERY'S OMEN
Okay, this one is terrifying. This is an EP from a band that plays what can best be described as blackened doom metal. It's not a real big subgenre, but there are a few bands. Australia has been on the cutting edge of combining black metal with other styles for awhile. This is an extremely dark and hostile album with the cold atmosphere and utter sense of impending doom that the two genres each cover separately but which is expertly crafted together on this album. The vocals are what really drives this EP, as they sound frenzied and completely unhinged. The full-length was a little disappointing after hearing this which is why I chose the EP for this list.

HOUR OF 13: HOUR OF 13
A newer band that plays excellent traditional doom metal. The album has a retro feel to it. It really sounds like something that would have come out in the 1970's. The music has a bit of an occult feel to it, like something that would be played in an old horror movie involving Satanic rites. The vocals are delivered in a style common to old doom metal bands like Candlemass. This is a great example of a newer band that plays a retro style of metal. I'm looking forward to hearing more from this band.