dark metal / doom
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Do you even wonder what a blend of seventies doom and nineties dark metal sounds like? Do you ever think that there was a possible connection between bands like Nightfall, Rotting Christ and Septicflesh on one side and Black Sabbath, Trouble and Tool on the other? Do you know how a gothic metal version of Slayer's 'Dead Skin Mask' would sound like? Well, my friend, look no further because here is The Slayerking.
The Slayerking is a Greek dark-metal group featuring Efthimis Karadimas from Nightfall, who of course is a mastermind in musical darkness. Founded in 2013, this trio rushes to the forefront of today's doom scene with this gloomy and immersive piece of work. Blending elements from traditional doom with nineties gothic metal, this album immediately grabs your attention. It surely is a breath of fresh air, seemingly stepping away from the cold sound of some of today's bands.
Opener 'She Is My Lazarus' is a brilliant song, coming close to the stuff I really liked back in my teens and twenties. I'm reminded of old Paradise Lost, old Tiamat, Vesania, The Vision Bleak, Nightfall and so on. Yet, beyond all those so-called 'goth' influences, there is a tremendous amount of vintage doom and even some psychedelic rock. The combination of both sounds pretty damn awesome.
What also sets The Slayerking apart from most other doom metal bands, is the songwriting capacity. While doom usually depends on heavy riffs, pounding drums and brutal vocals, here the song seems to be the focal point. Instead of trying to sound as crushing as possible, The Slayerking tells stories, dark, haunting stories. 'We Are The End' is another one of my favorites, possibly also inspired by ancient heavy metal ballads.
So if you like old school doom metal, this certainly is a gem that should be in your already extensive collection. 'The Man That Never Was', another perfect song, is everything you would expect from that genre; heavy but not overwhelmingly harsh, gloomy but not fearsome, powerful but melodic. I can now only hope that The Slayerking are about to pack their gear and travel the world with this material. No doubt that these will be awesome gigs.
Serge
The Slayerking is a Greek dark-metal group featuring Efthimis Karadimas from Nightfall, who of course is a mastermind in musical darkness. Founded in 2013, this trio rushes to the forefront of today's doom scene with this gloomy and immersive piece of work. Blending elements from traditional doom with nineties gothic metal, this album immediately grabs your attention. It surely is a breath of fresh air, seemingly stepping away from the cold sound of some of today's bands.
Opener 'She Is My Lazarus' is a brilliant song, coming close to the stuff I really liked back in my teens and twenties. I'm reminded of old Paradise Lost, old Tiamat, Vesania, The Vision Bleak, Nightfall and so on. Yet, beyond all those so-called 'goth' influences, there is a tremendous amount of vintage doom and even some psychedelic rock. The combination of both sounds pretty damn awesome.
What also sets The Slayerking apart from most other doom metal bands, is the songwriting capacity. While doom usually depends on heavy riffs, pounding drums and brutal vocals, here the song seems to be the focal point. Instead of trying to sound as crushing as possible, The Slayerking tells stories, dark, haunting stories. 'We Are The End' is another one of my favorites, possibly also inspired by ancient heavy metal ballads.
So if you like old school doom metal, this certainly is a gem that should be in your already extensive collection. 'The Man That Never Was', another perfect song, is everything you would expect from that genre; heavy but not overwhelmingly harsh, gloomy but not fearsome, powerful but melodic. I can now only hope that The Slayerking are about to pack their gear and travel the world with this material. No doubt that these will be awesome gigs.
Serge
