“As is perhaps unsurprising for a doom act, Dvm Spiro appear to have a preoccupation with death. The subtitle of their debut, MMXIX – In Frigidum Lectum is Latin for In a Cold Bed—presumably an allusion to one’s grave—and now, sophomore MMXXVI – Grave states that concept explicitly. This legacy in misery actually extends further into the past, as three of Dvm Spiro’s four members also play in longstanding Italian doom outfit Nihili Locus.” Doomed to the grave.
![Clouds – Desprins [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Clouds-Desprins-01.jpg.webp)
“Those of you who have been paying close attention may remember that Clouds’ 2021 album Despǎrțire was the subject of my very first review here at AMG; a review that in my n00bish naïveté, I appended with a 4.5. I don’t regret it, but will admit the name Clouds had faded a little in my mind before a sudden and apparently unannounced drop of Desprins back in January caused all the sweet sadness to come flooding back.” Like waves of melancholy, Clouds drift in.
“In a world where “not metal” is used to deride artists as much as it is to make a factual statement about them, it’s funny how the metalsphere adopts a breadth of musical styles that borrow ‘key’ elements to various minimal degrees. Usually, they end up being grouped under post-metal. So it is that Ellereve lands in the sight of Angry Metal Guy—and more specifically, me. Their sonic palette, which has so far been defined by a largely acoustic, folk-leaning rock, now steps more confidently into post-metal and even post-black, though Elisa Giulia Teschner’s sweet, husky cleans remain the star around which everything orbits.” When not metal is metal.
July Filters get sticky from the heat. It takes time to cool em down and unstickify those rascals. We did it though, for YOU.
“A.L.N. (a.k.a. Mizmor) and M.S.W. (Hell) inhabit similar territories: geographically, the Pacific Northwest; sonically, abrasive, droning, blackened doom; and, perhaps critically, emotionally, all claustrophobic, tortured heft. Although they’ve collaborated live before, Alluvion, which refers to the sedimentary deposits left by a body of flowing water, is their first studio outing together. Billed as a map to aid the listener in navigating through bouts of psychic distress, the prone form on the cover could easily be me by the time I’m finished with this review, crushed beneath the weight of Mizmor & Hell.’s compositions, corpse abandoned on that mountainside rising from the promo sump.” A hill to die on.
“German duo Mantar exploded onto the scene on 2014’s massive debut LP Death By Burning, unleashing a raw collection of doom-flecked, blackened punk-sludge anthems. Boasting a nasty streak and series of ginormous grooves and infectiously hooky riffs and songwriting, the album had a fresh appeal, featuring nods towards legendary acts, Motörhead and Melvins. An equally impressive sophomore album followed, solidifying Mantar as a dependable force as their career progressed. Despite recent efforts not quite hitting the impressive highs of their early work, Mantar remain true to the old ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ motto to solid effect.” Gruesome twosomes.
![Mother of Graves – The Periapt of Absence [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mother-of-Graves-The-Periapt-of-Absence-01-768x768.jpg)
“If, like me, you’re a sucker for classic death doom and The Periapt of Absence is a Thing That You Did, in fact, Miss in 2024 then you’ll want to remedy that. Now. The second full-length by Indianapolis quintet Mother of Graves, it channels all those sweet, sweet sadboi vibes from early Katatonia, Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, or even classic Swallow the Sun.” I dismember Momma.
“The nameless souls of the black metal band KrvL (pronounced “Kravaal”) are said to roam Belgium’s Kravaal forest. Formed in 2020 KrvL self-released its 2022 debut Kravaal. It’s sonic vision, it turns out, was a decent dose of black metal with post and doom leanings, and Kravaal caught the attention of start-up Italian label These Hands Melt, who signed the mysterious Belgians in 2024. Steeled now to release its sophomore effort Donkere Paden, KrvL seeks to enter the light from, as the blurb reads, ‘the darkness they find themselves in.'” Cookiepuss and Fudgie approved!
“It’s a tricky business being the only remaining original member of a band more than thirty years after its creation. I don’t know how many members you have to replace before you’re in Ship of Theseus Paradox territory, but surely Anders Eek is there with his long-running Norwegian doom outfit Funeral. I suppose it’s one thing if the last remaining OG is the vocalist, since the human voice, unfairly or not, will always be the default through-line. It almost doesn’t matter what the music is doing, if the voice is familiar, it’s easy to say “See? It’s the same band.” But Anders Eek is not the vocalist. He’s the drummer.” Stepping over the bodies of the past.
“The Flight of Sleipnir’s 2021 opus Eventide made ripples in the underground, blending stoner doom, acoustic folk, and post-metal—familiar elements but crafted into a cohesive, beautiful whole. We hadn’t covered them since 2014’s V., so I nabbed Nature’s Cadence as soon as I could, hoping it would elevate the band from goodness to greatness. I knew that either way it would be a breath of fresh air, and its gorgeous cover art was irresistible.” Even AMG is getting into cadence discussions this week.
