Modest Machine

Formed in early 2007, Moorpark, California's Black Sheep Wall play an aggressively heavy blend of down-tempo, sludge, and doom metal. Characterized by the monumental amount of anger, disgust, and desperation in their music, Black Sheep Wall have earned themselves a cult following since the release of their debut, I Am God Songs, in 2008. The album, which features artwork by Admiral Angry mastermind Daniel Kraus, is an exhausting collage of down tuned guitars, dissonant vocals, and pounding drum beats. Although not overly technical or entirely perfect, I Am God Songs is a fantastic record that leaves the listener in awe of its punishing sounds and raw emotions.

Download: Black Sheep Wall - I Am God Songs (2008)

Fog Cutter

Recently signed to Phil Anselmo's Housecore Records, New Orleans, Louisiana sludge/doom outfit haarp are set to release their debut full-length, The Filth, in November 2010. In the meantime, here are the band's demo EP's from 2007 and 2009, along with their 2009 split with fellow Louisiana band, Thou.

Download: haarp - Demo I (2007)

Download: haarp - Demo II (2009)

Download: haarp/Thou - Reincarnation Prayer Split (2009)

Circling The Drain

Formed in 2004, Los Angeles, California's Admiral Angry play an aggressively bottom heavy blend of sludge and doom metal. While their name may evoke visions of a cartoon villain in a pirate costume chasing around Scooby Doo and the Gang, Admiral Angry's sound is far more violent and disturbing than their name lets on. One listen to their debut full - length, Buster, and you realize that this band is more like the sonic equivalent of a rabid beast that would abduct the aforementioned cartoon heroes, force them to live in a well in his basement, and piss on them until they drown. A majority of the band's work was orchestrated by lead guitarist Daniel Kraus (aka THE Admiral), who passed away tragically in February of 2009 after a lifelong bout with Cystic Fibrosis. After his passing, the remaining members of the band decided to return to the studio to finish recording the EP that they had been working on with Kraus before he died. The result of these sessions is A Fire To Burn Down The World, a one track, 23 minute long assault on the listener's aural sensibilities. Although the band claim to have enough material written to complete at least one more album, it remains unclear whether or not they will continue to record under the Admiral Angry moniker, or if they will go their separate ways and move on to new projects.

Download: Admiral Angry - Buster (2008)

Download: Admiral Angry - A Fire To Burn Down The World (2010)

*** If you enjoy what you hear, please make an effort to buy a copy, as the band have decided to donate all proceeds from the sale of their music to Cystic Fibrosis research ***

Idol Of Perversity

Formed in late 2006/early 2007, London, England's Pombagira play a particularly epic brand of doom metal that leaves the listener in awe of what they've just experienced. Originally formed as a three piece, Pombagira now operates as a two man doom metal machine, opting to use six amps instead of four. Their debut album, The Crooked Path, is a five track, two disc behemoth that clocks in at just over an hour and twenty minutes. With an arsenal of songs that consistently run longer than ten minutes at a time, Pombagira are not a band for everyone. The average listener will not be able to devote the attention required to digest the band's trance inducing swan songs. But if you consider yourself an avid fan of anything doom related, and you have a few hours to kill, I would highly suggest that you give Pombagira's discography a listen.

Download: Pombagira - The Crooked Path Disc 1 (2008)

Download: Pombagira - The Crooked Path Disc 2 (2008)

Download: Pombagira - Black Axis Abraxas (2009)

Download: Pombagira - Baron Citadel (2010)

Swallow The Anchor

Formed in 2006, Lafayette, Louisiana's The Devil And The Sea play a particularly bruising brand of rock-tinged doom metal. Rapidly interchanging discordant textures with lurid sludge grooves, The Devil And The Sea craft songs that slowly build into a wall of sound and then explode with bone shattering force. Drawing comparisons to bands like Cavity, Mastodon, and Pelican, The Devil And The Sea take their sound into often unexplored territory, playing basic rhythms without ever coming off as overly repetitious or dull. While they primarily play stoner rock mixed with elements of sludge and doom, this Louisiana trio stays away from the typical "sound like Sabbath" approach that so many bands in their genre adhere to. After signing with Acerbic Noise Development in 2008, the band released their debut full-length, Heart vs. Spine, in 2009. This album finds the band perfecting the art of all that is grimy, slimy, rude, and obscene, and was described by Hellridemusic.com as "a triumph of a record".

Download: The Devil And The Sea - Heart vs. Spine (2009)

Spirit Molecule

Formed in the summer of 2003 by former members of Terminal Doom Explosion, Zoroaster have spent the last seven years rampaging across the country with bands such as Gojira, Mastodon, and Black Tusk. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, this three-piece doom/metal outfit have developed a sound that has been described as "menacing" and "unrelenting". Comprised of Bassist/Guitarist/Vocalist Brent Anderson, Guitarist/Vocalist Will Flore, and Drummer Rod Flore, Zoroaster draw influence from legendary sludge, metal, and doom acts of yore, such as Celtic Frost, Venom, Godflesh, and Black Sabbath. Mixed in throughout their oppressively heavy sound are experimental and psychedelic elements reminiscent of Melvins and Pink Floyd, adding to the overall sonic experience that the band themselves describe as "a dinosaur taking a shit."

Download: Zoroaster - S/T (2005)

Download: Zoroaster - Dog Magic (2007)

Download: Zoroaster - Voice Of Saturn (2009)

Download: Zoroaster - Matador (2010)

Slugs In A Salt Circle

Formed in 2004 by former members of Will Haven and Oddman, Sacramento, California's Abominable Iron Sloth have masterminded their sound into a devastatingly heavy mix of sludge, doom, and hardcore. Described by lead vocalist and guitarist Justin Godfrey as, "Old nihilistic punk mixed with doom" AIS are a Molotov cocktail of a band, ready to incinerate your eardrums and leave you in the burn unit at your local ER. The band creates this sound with a relatively minimal approach, fusing filthy guitars, primal drum pounding, and unnerving vocals that convey true horror. Originally featuring three former members of Will Haven (Jeff Irwin, Mitch Wheeler, and Mike Martin), Abominable Iron Sloth is now comprised of Godfrey, bassist Aubrey Debauchery, and drummer Andre Sanabria. After releasing their self-titled debut on Goodfellow Records in 2006, the band developed a cult following and signed to Black Market Activities to release their sophomore effort, "The Id Will Overcome" in April of 2010.

Download: Abominable Iron Sloth - S/T (2006)

Download: Abominable Iron Sloth - The Id Will Overcome (2010)

Exorcism Of The Host

Founded by lead guitarist and vocalist Mike Scheidt in 1996, Eugene, Oregon's YOB have been punishing listeners with their brand of doom for over a decade. Cited by Scheidt as being influenced by bands ranging from Soundgarden and Neurosis to Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath, YOB have developed a diverse and unique sound that sets them apart from other doom metal bands. Originally comprised of Scheidt, bassist Lowell Iles, and drummer Greg Ocon, the band has seen several line up changes throughout the years. For the recording of the band's 2001/2002 full length debut, Elaborations Of Carbon, Scheidt recruited ex-Thrombus member Isamu Sato on bass, and ex-Lightweight drummer Gabe Morley. Drawing comparisons to bands such as Sleep, Burning Witch, Electric Wizard, and High On Fire, YOB's debut full length was met with much critical praise. In 2002, the band signed Abstract Sounds and began recording their sophomore release, Catharsis. Featuring a stronger production value and three songs clocking in at 50 minutes, Catharsis saw the band taking their sound in an even darker, heavier direction. After signing with Metal Blade Records in 2004, YOB released their third full length, The Illusion Of Motion and embarked on a headlining tour of the US. Following the release of the band's fourth album in 2005, Sato and Foster left the band, and after six months of searching for replacements, Scheidt announced in January 2006 that YOB was disbanding. In 2008, the band was reformed and began recording and playing shows again, releasing their fifth full length, The Great Cessation, on Profound Lore Records in 2009. Combining thundering, potent guitar riffs with a brain jarring rhythm section, YOB have secured their place among doom metal's elite. 

Download: YOB - Demo (2000)

Download: YOB - Elaborations Of Carbon (2001)

Download: YOB - Catharsis (2003)

Download: YOB - The Illusion Of Motion (2004)

Download: YOB - The Unreal Never Lived (2005)

Download: YOB - The Great Cessation (2009)

Negative Reversal

Formed in 2001 by vocalist/guitarist Jason Landrian (formerly of Cavity) and drummer Rafeal Martinez, two piece sludge/doom outfit Black Cobra have slowly developed into a vicious, super distorted heavy metal machine. Drawing comparisons to bands like Mastodon and High On Fire, the duo are known for the intensity of their live shows, as well as the amount of sound they generate with just one guitar and one set of drums.

Download: Black Cobra - S/T EP (2004)

Download: Black Cobra - Bestial (2006)

Download: Black Cobra/Eternal Elysium - Split (2007)

Download: Black Cobra - Feather And Stone (2007)

Download: Black Cobra - Chronomega (2009)

Horns Of Steel

Formed in 2006, Providence, Rhode Island's Howl have burst onto the scene with a blend of doom metal and stoner-fuzz that has been described as "something unique, violent, and ugly." After signing with Relapse Records in 2009, Howl re-released their three song, self-titled EP, which they had originally recorded and distributed themselves in 2008. After generating a small amount of buzz and garnering favorable reviews from Decibel magazine, Howl entered the studio with engineer Keith Souza in January 2010 to record their debut full length, Full Of Hell. Released on May 11, 2010, Full Of Hell finds the band taking their sound in a more percussive direction, mixing elements of slow doom metal, black metal atmospheres, and blues based harmonies. Described by guitarist and lead vocalist Vincent Hausman as "more extreme than the EP," Full Of Hell sounds less like the debut of a young band trying to find their sound, and more like the work of seasoned metal veterans.

Download: Howl - S/T EP (2008)

Download: Howl - Full Of Hell (2010)

Disciples Of An Expanding Sun

Female fronted, two-piece, sludge metal duo Jucifer got their start in 1993 when lead guitarist and vocalist Amber Valentine and her then - boyfriend, now - husband and drummer Edgar Livengood began writing together. The duo, according to Valentine, coined their name from a statement heard during the OJ Simpson murder trials: "If he's guilty, then he's the devil and The Juice is Lucifer." Admittedly "nomadic in nature", Valentine and Livengood travel in an RV and prefer to tour constantly. Known for the extreme volume at which they play, Jucifer have become notorious for the "intensity" of their live shows. Since their formation, the duo have released a total of nine albums and EP's, often drawing comparisons to bands like Portishead, Black Sabbath, and Melvins.  Now a part of the Relapse Records family, Jucifer have recently released their latest effort, Throned In Blood. Paying tribute to doom metal classics with tracks like "Contempt", "Work Will Make Us Free," and the title track, the album also features elements of sludge with songs like "Hiroshima" and even battle metal with "Spoils To The Conqueror". The closing track, "Armageddon", offers the album's only moment of tranquility, as it is more of a Celtic folk tune than anything else. All in all, Throned In Blood is a well constructed and unique album, and a great addition to any Jucifer fan's library.

Download: Jucifer - Throned In Blood (2010)

Electric Flower

Formed in 1982, Montesano, Washington's Melvins have established themselves as innovators of genres such as grunge, sludge, and doom. Within their dark, slow, oppressively heavy sound, one can discern influence from bands like Flipper, Black Sabbath, and "My War"-era Black Flag, but pegging them into any one genre would prove to be an exercise in futility. The band's bizarre sense of humor, idiosyncratic approach, and constant experimentation have made any kind of neat categorization difficult. Never finding, and most likely never seeking, any kind of great mainstream success, Melvins have continued to tour and release albums at a steady rate. This year marks the release of the band's TWENTIETH studio album, The Bride Screamed Murder. While the album is most certainly a departure from their earlier work, it is a must have for any Melvins fan. After all, isn't progression what Melvins are all about? Standout tracks include "I'll Finish You Off", "The Water Glass", and "Evil New War God".

Download: Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder (2010)