Being asked to contribute to the end of year debate is always an honour, but when asked to talk about only six of the best doom records released this year it’s fair to say that a disturbing amount of terror set in. With that in mind, I found it particularly difficult to choose the final six and then to rank them seemed a little arbitrary. As such, this list appears alphabetically – as is personal tradition, where possible – along with a track from each that stands out for all the right heart-wrenching reasons.
Listen to these bands and cry your entire heart out.
Enjoy!
Ahab – The Giant (Napalm Records)
The German purveyors of their self-styled Nautik Funeral Doom absolutely destroy with their third full length, an album which is cleverly based on a long-forgotten and terrifically curious narrative by Edgar Allen Poe. Beautiful, heartbreaking and deeply affecting, The Giant rolls in waves of texture and gorgeous harmony.
Ahab – Antarctica the Polymorphess
Anhedonist – Netherwards (Dark Descent Records)
Anhedonist appeared with a destructive demo a couple of years ago and The Drear was only a small taste of what this colossal quartet could do. As atmospherically driven as it is superbly crushing, Netherwards is a glorious step forward into the doomed death genre.
Anhedonist – Saturnine
Bell Witch – Longing (Profound Lore Records)
Longing is a masterpiece of emotionally led and overwrought feelings of despair and the duo behind Bell Witch hold onto the innate and terrible loss that is found in just being alive. Longing is woeful and so ingrained with sorrow that the light at the end of tunnel is but a beautiful dream. As a cheat, check out Samothrace’s Reverence to Stone of this year – it features Dylan Desmond of Bell Witch and is another incredible addition to the world of doom in 2012.
Bell Witch – Longing (the river of ash)
Evoken – Atra Mors (Profound Lore Records)
It seems to have taken Evoken a long, long time to get to today and the release of the monumental Atra Mors. Stripping away and stepping back to their death-infused roots gave Evoken a wickedly mournful edge and their fifth full length is a record of constant and painful anguish.
Evoken – Grim Eloquence
Pallbearer – Sorrow and Extinction (Profound Lore Records)
Pallbearer’s 2010 demo was but a taste of the desolation this quartet can wreak, and 2012 saw their long-awaited debut finally see a release on Profound Lore Records. Fantastically despondent melodies weave their way through deep and far-reaching corners of true and utter misery. Sorrow and Extinction flows through darkness and light and gives a truly meaningful dimension to the concept of grief.
Pallbearer – Foreigner
Worship – Terranean Wake
Worship have quite the history – one that is fraught with immense tragedy and the drive to create sounds of complete breakdown despite their troubled and distressing past. Their approach to total and all encompassing pain is wholly funereal and perfectly bereft. Terranean Wake is a forlorn work of stark reality and infinite lamentation.
Worship – Terranean Wake III – Fear Is My Temple
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