OSSIFIER - DSDM DEMO (EP Review)

Release Date: October 26th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

DSDM Demo - Tracklist 

We Are The Endtimes 13:05

Members

Angry Fanny - Guitar/Vocals

MicHellhammer - Bass/Vocals

Tchang - Drums

Additional percussions by Chaton666.

Review

DSDM Demo is the debut release from Funeral Doom/Drone Metallers OSSIFIER is a highly atmospheric release that only features a singular track called We Are The Endtimes. The song runs for a massive thirteen minutes where OSSIFIER explores the Blackened Elements of the Funeral Doom scene with harsh instances of Sludge, Drone and Ambient Metal. There’s a violent Psychedelic energy lurking in the background with OSSIFIER channeling the likes of WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM and SUNN 0))).

The vocals move between clean chants and harsh growls which work superbly well together though sometimes they’re quite hard to understand which is probably the point of the whole record. The music is constantly violent and brutally heavy with slow-to-mid played Post-Metal soundscapes moving further into the Funeral Doom and Drone Metal vortex. 

There’s small pockets of uplifting Atmospheric Doom that briefly appear with an aggressive mix of Ambient Metal and Post-Rock themes leading the way. This shows a different side to OSSIFIER at times where they’re quite content to allow a more forgiving style of music to appear but mostly it’s that violent destructive energy that gives the song it’s epic cinematic scope.

DSDM Demo is unforgivingly slow for the most part but it allows OSSIFIER to explore many different levels of Distorted Drone and Funeral Doom that becomes brilliantly dark and aggressively violent in the later stages of the song. 

Helping OSSIFIER on their musical journey is the legendary talents of Sanford Parker who mixed and mastered the record. This allows OSSIFIER to have a heavier and cinematic scope to their music which left me wanting to hear more. As this song is superbly put together from every angle despite this being an actual demo. It sounds impressive from the start and will no doubt become a firm favourite within the underground Doom/Drone Metal scene. 

This is an exquisite and bleakly unforgiving release that will hopefully allow OSSIFIER to release more great records in the near future as I’m desperate to hear more.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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KAPUTTH - Brocken (EP Review)

Release Date: March 27th 2026. Record Label: Fucking Kill Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl.

Brocken - Tracklisting

Brocken

Members

Vocals - Tobias Ralf Robert Hüttmeyer

Guitars - Adrian Lorenzo Waldemar Seifert

Bass - Salvatore Giallo

Drums - Lanthir Lörp Saibøt

Review

Funeral Doom/Sludge Metallers KAPUTTH return with their latest EP entitled Brocken. This is a singular seventeen minutes track which continues the great work they captured with their epic 2024 debut album “i”. This is a very slow-paced track which oozes ICE-COLD atmospherics which delves into areas of Psych, Prog and Post-Metal techniques. There is a certain fantastical storytelling element to this record which comes across the cinematic style of music that KAPUTTH incorporates into the overall theme of Brocken. 

The vocals from Tobias Ralf Robert Hüttmeyer are from the extreme metal world with his brutal style of harsh growls and non-descriptive grunts. I would say I understood about fifty percent what he was singing within this EP and that’s a good thing. As this gives an air of mystery of what’s being said or I could be showing my advanced age now. Though, the music itself is stunning that delicately balances Post-Rock melodies and aggressive Sludge Metal surroundings. There’s some classic instrumental solos being played along the way which reminds of certain film scores and video game soundtracks. You’ll know when you hear it.

However, for the most part, KAPUTTH move themselves to this glacial cinematic sound that transforms into a highly meditative style of Post-Black Metal with the emphasis on slowly played melodies and levels of progressive depth from beginning to end. Despite the slow paced nature of it all, KAPUTTH are superbly heavy and create their own great style of music that makes you feel this track was on slightly longer. 

The ambient textures and sullen sludgy guitars have quite an organic and personal sound which the band have called “FUNERAL MOUNTAIN DOOM” and that’s a great description. There’s an old school flavour to the band’s creative vision and whilst it may be quite different it’s also absolutely daring in its own right.

Brocken is part of a split 10 inch vinyl release with another singular superb EP from Experimental Sludge Metallers KOLLEKTIV RAUMORDNUNG called "Selbstbefriedigung in the Temple Plains”. That record is vastly different to Brocken but is also worth checking out.

However, this is my review for Brocken and KAPUTTH have delivered the goods with this outstanding and highly charismatic release.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

KOLLEKTIV RAUMORDNUNG / KAPUTTH - "Selbstbefriedigung in the Temple Plains / Brocken" is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Fucking Kill Records.

Links 

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Oromet - The Sinking Isle (Album Review)

Release Date: November 07th 2025. Record Label: Hypaethral Records / Translyvanian Recordings. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/VInyl

The Sinking Isle - Tracklisting

1.Hollow Dominion - 20:49

2.Marathon - 11:06

3.Forsaken Tarn 11:21

Member

Dan Aguilar: Guitar, Vocals

Patrick Hills: Drums, Bass, Synth, Backing Vocals

Review

The Sinking Isle is the second full length album from Funeral Doom Metallers Oromet who build a bleak cinematic world where they blend elements of Prog Metal, Doom, Sludge, Ambient Metal and Psych Metal against a backdrop of extended Post-Metal structures. The atmosphere still stays within the boundaries of Funeral Doom with the dreaded vocals from lead vocalist Dan Aguilar creating a depressing style of music very early on within the album.

Oromet fuse sounds from bands such as YOB, NEUROSIS, PELICAN, BELL WITCH and MOURNFUL CONGREGATION across three epic tracks which leaves you questioning how bleak does the record actually become whilst still retaining an uplifting vibe throughout the whole album. Oromet adds a world-weary storytelling aspect to their music with the lyrics portraying a sense of despair with subtle Post-Metal guitars that match the epic synths from Patrick Hills that’s one of my favourite aspects of the whole album.

The opening track Hollow Dominion is quite a subversive song with Oromet providing different areas of Funeral Doom and Post-Metal soundscapes which is quite SPACED OUT and emotionally rewarding when the more extreme passages appear. The song is quite slow for the most part but Oromet do speed things up to a regular mid-paced delivery which allows the band to add multiple levels of Psychedelic and Sonic based wonder which gives their music quite a forward thinking style. Add a mammoth twenty minute plus runtime that allows Oromet the perfect opportunity to redefine the Funeral Doom landscape in their own unique creative image. 

The following two tracks Marathon and Forsaken Tarn continue that epic Progressive and Psychedelic journey with even more intense bouts of pitch-black Doom Metal surroundings with a Post-Black Metal attitude forming within Marathon that becomes the main way for Oromet to experiment with their music to even greater effect. Despite the harsh elements and gloomy synths, Dan and Patrick never lose sight of their overall mission and that’s to provide a thrilling bleak narrative to their music but still experimenting with their music by providing some of the most original Funeral Doom songs you’ll hear this year.

The album could have easily become quite theatrical but to Oromet’s credit they keep everything real and grounded even when they inject sudden bursts of COSMIC ENERGY into their music. The Progressive flow of The Sinking Isle never waivers with Oromet playing beautiful and brutally constructed works of music that can be considered timeless and masterful at the same time.

The Sinking Isle is an absolute masterpiece that pulls no punches but still leaves you a shivering wreck and supremely hopeful at the same time. Yeah, this is perhaps the FUNERAL DOOM METAL album of the year right here. What more can I say? Add this one to your collection now. 

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy The Sinking Isle via the links below:

CD, Digital and Vinyl via Hypaethral Records 

Cassette, CD, Digital and Vinyl via Translyvanian Recordings

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

in this house of mourning - Enlèvement (Album Review)

Release Date: August 08th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Enlèvement - Tracklisting

1. Visitation (3:27)

2. Scent (5:37)

3. Altar (9:35)

4. Alt(e)r (3:33)

5. Reckoning (11:51)

Members

B.I. - vocals, guitars, bass, synths/organs

R.R. - drums

A.A. - vocals

A.P. - lead guitar, synths, production

Review

Enlèvement is the debut album from Death/Funeral Doom Metallers in this house of mourning where they create an unsettling record full of different and violent atmospherics which sees the band fully align themselves next to the likes of THOU, Primitive Man, The Body and Celtic Frost. The record has a nihilistic quality with the band taking their time bringing a “standard” groove within the opening track of Visitation  where in this house of mourning conjure up Drone and Funeral Doom rhythms against a downbeat soundclip which only adds to the sense of despair the record takes you upon next.

Second track Scent is where the real business of the DEATH METAL aspect appears within the vocals from A.A. and B.I. This is sinister and gut-wrenching stuff with harsh growls and extreme vocals colliding for a sense of fear and dread throughout. The music is very stripped back and has a down-tuned SLUDGE METAL energy which reminds of EYEHATEGOD with the decaying filth that appears with the Psychedelic Sounds and eerie Synths that can be quite COSMIC based at times. Damn. I wasn’t expecting that at all but the synths add a sense of surreal grittiness and a level of grounded realism when the band fully transfer over into the realm of Death Metal.

The lyrics written on this album are delivered with violent intent that can be quite horrific but in this house of mourning fully sell their creative vision. I’m not the biggest fan of Death Metal and Funeral Doom being fused together but this is stunning stuff with in the house of mourning creating something original and unique within the excellent third track of Altar which combines elements of Occult, Sludge, Stoner and Prog Metal under the guise of their hybrid sound of Death Metal and Funeral Doom with some interesting clean / harsh vocals being used to tell an intriguing story of absolute madness by the sounds of it.

The later stages of Enlèvement operate within a seedy and grimy LOW & SLOW environment within the house of mourning, never breaking out of character to play a faster style of music. Everything is played at a suitable and superbly intense “mid-to-slow” pace that allows the Psychedelic and Cosmic instrumental passages to grow naturally especially on the sublime fourth track  of Alt(e)r which feels like a very cool homage to the mighty SUNN 0))) at times.

The final track of Reckoning is where the band throws everything at you for the heaviest, sickest and outstanding slice of EXTREME music contained on the whole album. Everything is stripped back and played once again at a violent slow pace which allows the listener to take in every sick and twisted note from start to finish. The vocals once again move from clean extreme growls to the more indecipherable vocals which gives a great balance to what in this house of mourning ultimately strive to achieve within Enlèvement.

Enlèvement is a highly intelligent and brutally original slice of Extreme Metal that’s bound by the themes of Death Metal and Funeral Doom that did in fact want me to hear more especially when the band moved into Psychedelic Metal and Cosmic Doom territory in the closing stages of Reckoning. 

The record is quite on the short side that lasts for around thirty four minutes in length but that’s more than enough time for in the house of mourning to SCARE THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF YOU!!!

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Maliciouz - SARBERUS (Album Review)

Release Date: January 17th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

SARBERUS - Track Listing:

1.Even Against Sorrow 05:51

2.Wearied Repose 08:49

3.Under The Weight 04:19

4.Zimrah 23 06:10

5.Senescent Ruction 07:01

6.Lamentation 06:55

7.The Wilderness Feeds You 04:43

8.Mezmernaut 03:58

Members

Michael "Maliciouz" Muckow - Guitars, Bass & Drums

Review

SARBARUS is the new album from one-man outfit Maliciouz who operates with a bleak and desolate Scorched Desert mandate with elements of Funeral Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal on this record. The sound is constantly bleak and quite oppressive especially compared to their last record DIZEAZED released back in July 2024. There’s a subtle Psychedelic and Progressive style appearing throughout the album but it’s mostly full of nightmarish soundscapes which is boosted by the constant use of down-tuned fuzzy guitars that have a demonic Sludgy appearance to them.

Maliciouz plays music inspired by the likes of BONGRIPPER and Electric Wizard with a slow-paced foreboding GLOOM & DOOM sound can be wholly melodic and emotionally draining at times especially on tracks such as Even Against Sorrow, Wearied Repose and Under The Weight perfectly setting the scene. The record does have a certain LO-FI energy appearing within the production values which gives SARBARUS a slight sleazy grindhouse feel which should resonate with the underground DOOM METAL community but everything still sounds incredibly LOUD and highly polished at the same time.

The record isn’t the fastest style of music and if you want catchy amounts of riff-centric grooves then you better look elsewhere as Michael Muckow (the creative mastermind behind the album) prefers his music to be played with long drawn out instrumental passages with moments of surreal Psychedelic aggression appearing when you least expect it.

Other standout tracks include: Zimrah, Senescent Ruction, Lamentation and Mezmernaut that all show a wide array of different Funeral Doom grooves with a sense of fear and anxiety creeping in spectacular fashion. SARBARUS is quite a grimy record which Maliciouz doesn’t shy away from even in the closing seconds of the album, there’s still some downbeat sounds that leave you wanting to hear more.

This is a superb record from the underground scene and I can’t recommend this highly enough.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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KAPUTTH - I (Album Review)

Release Date: December 27th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

​I  - Track Listing:

1.Am Anfang der Schmerz 03:25

2.Ich sehe keine Tannen mehr 11:32

3.N(osferatu)3 06:30

4.Scheise was is pasirt 07:03

5.Erst die Schlacht dann das Sterben 07:33

6.Kaventsmann 07:37

7.Auf dem Gipfel ein Sturm 06:45

8.Bergschwer 07:25

Members

Vocals: Tobias Ralf Robert Hüttmeyer

Guitars: Adrian Lorenzo Waldemar Seifert

Bass: Salvatore Giallo

Drums: Lanthir Lörp Saibøt

Review

Funeral Doom/Sludge Metallers KAPUTTH new album “I” is quite a dark, brooding and at times a very slow-to-mid moving style of bleak obsessed metal. KAPUTTH are well observant with their Funeral Metal roots with the album having a long drawn out “LOW & SLOW” and “DOWN TUNED” approach with their instrumental passages. The record is quite experimental and progressive with the band changing their whole creative direction just to play a brief moody musical interlude before returning to the more violent style of Blackened Doom and sometimes violent harsh growls that originate from Tobias Ralf Robert Hüttmeyer vocal style. 

There is a sense of Appalachian Doom appearing within the music where the band proclaim themselves as German Funeral Mountain Doom Wizards. You can hear echoes of Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard within KAPUTTH’s music but given a Blackened Doom/Sludge Metal makeover with a nightmarish quality appearing at times. “I” can be quite abstract with how KAPUTTH deliver their music and the way Tobias Ralf Robert Hüttmeyer delivers his excellent screams, growls and clean vocals along the way. 

I can’t comment on the lyrics or the creative storyline for the album as everything is sung in German and I haven’t studied German in over thirty years when I was back in high school. Though, the band absolutely kills it with their highly atmospheric blend of Prog Metal, Doom, Sludge, Thrash, Psych, Post-Rock and Black Metal which brings a sense of dread to the already gloomy winter months.

The instrumental sounds are quite eclectic and highly obsessive at times but KAPUTTH work best when they think outside of the box especially on tracks such as Ich sehe keine Tannen mehr, N(osferatu)3, Kaventsmann and Bergschwer. Sometimes the tracks can be very drawn out at times but KAPUTTH manage to find a way to sweeten the mood with a Classic Hard Rock or Proto-Doom based grooves that come out of nowhere to give this album quite a contemporary and classic feeling.

Overall, “I” is a spellbinding, superbly weird and quite gloomy experience with KAPUTTH creating something grand and ambitious with the standard FUNERAL DOOM METAL sound. Give this one a spin and you’ll be majorly surprised by what you hear. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Heksegrav - Svart Portal (Album Review)

Release Date: May 31st 2024. Record Label: The Lasting Dose Records. Formats: CD/DD

Svart Portal: Tracklisting

GLØD

Sirkel

RÅTE

Band Members

GARM - Everything

Review

Svart Portal is the debut album from One Man Doom/Sludge Metal Band Heksegrav. The record is a twenty eight minute opus that explores the finer points of the Funeral Doom scene with roots within Sludge Metal, Heavy Metal and Stoner Metal. Heksegrav is full of different Progressive sounding atmospheres with Psychedelic textures and distorted melodies with a Drone based quality appearing within the opening track of GLØD.

GLØD lasts around seven minutes length with Heksegrav playing a mean variety of LOW & SLOW guitar passages with a nightmarish and bleakly heavy Funeral Doom march with Drone pastures that merges the sounds of Pallbearer, Black Sabbath and Sunn0))) for an Ambient style appearing on the early stages of the track. The vocals are pure DOOM & GLOOM obsessed with moments of Shamanic Chants and Extreme Levels of harsh growls which matches the music when it becomes more aggressive and moves at a quicker pace. The instrumental work is impressive with the mysterious GARM playing everything himself with menacing relish and supreme confidence.

Second song Sirkel is a bit shorter running around six minutes in length which opens with eerie Church Bells which I was expecting to be more Occult based but GARM settles for a subtle Post-Rock sound that slowly merges into an intense Doom/Drone Metal instrumental charge with Folk-esque movements being quite powerful with an emotional depth that I wasn’t expecting. The creative Doom Metal approach of Pallbearer, Type O Negative and My Dying Bride can be heard but when Heksegrav ventures over into obsessive Sludge/Doom Metal territory then the album becomes progressive and sludgy Psych based guitars allows the record to offer it’s great style of Gothic Heaviness.

The final track of RÅTE feels like a direct continuation of the previous tracks with GARM fusing the whole story as one creative element where the music is once again dominated by the Funeral Doom sonic landscape. The vocals are distorted and drift to that Shamanic style with the instrumental grooves becoming heavier with STONER based intent. There’s a heavy metal aspect that allows GARM to bring more extreme levels of noise and aggression whilst still providing a first rate style of Melodic Rock within the confinements of the epic fifteen minutes run time the song ultimately runs for. 

Svart Portal only lasts for twenty eight minutes in length but feels longer and that’s a good thing. As Heksegrav has packed a lot of different HEAVY METAL sounds within the albums short run time with an adventurous style of Psych Metal, Prog Metal and that fabulous Funeral Doom energy which is where Svart Portal impresses the most.

This is a sublime debut release from Heksegrav which is superbly impressive on a technical level with GARM proving what a wonderful musician he actually is and showing what a keen creative mind that he has as well. The album is being released by superb record label The Lasting Dose Records who have released two standout releases already this year with GRIN and DAEVAR. If the label keeps releasing great albums such as this in the future then they could be the next “CULT” label for the underground scene to fully get behind. 

However, this is Heksegrav’s moment to shine in the spotlight and I’m quite excited to hear what Heksegrav will release in the future.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to The Lasting Dose Records and Against PR for the promo.

Svart Portal will be available to buy on CD/DD via The Lasting Dose Records from Friday 31st May 2024.

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