Exploring the Doom genre...
CandlemassCandlemass released the album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in 1986 which, aside from Pentragram and Black Sabbath, was the first REAL Doom to be carried on throughout the years by other bands. It featured prominant, slow riffs. An odd drum pattern and very slow timings paired by a mournful and enigmatic vocalist. Their bassist wrote all the riffs, lyrics and songs and still does to this day, often considered one of the best bassists in the business.
So if you like dark fantasy/doom lyrics often in Lovecraftian or just simply dark aesops and also dig heavy riffs that will make your subwoofer cry, Candlemass is for you.
Accessibility--7/10, The easiest doom metal band to get into as they have mid to slow paced songs, a NWOBHM style vocalist, and clean lyrics and moderately slow paced solos.
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WarningIn the 2000's Doom had a return, from Candlemass' return to Reverend Bizarre to Warning. Warning has taken the best from the "literal" doom bands before it and churned out only one album, but its power and emotion is immense. Production values for such a low budget band were hailed and while their lyrics are almost always about past relationships (See: Opeth), they manage to craft them in vague scenarios that often sound more epic than they should. That basically describes the whole genre.
Warning is for those rare moods, where you just feel like crap. You probably won't be able to listen to more than one or two of their songs in one sitting. They're very long, immense in sound, and their vocalist is one of the most emotional I've found in a while.
Acessibility--4/10, People may be turned off by the immensely slow pace of the guitars and the wailing and sad albeit clean vocalist.
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Black SabbathBlack sabbath has had many faces, but only one emotion. Tony Iommi has been the driving force of this band since the 70's, and basically inventing this whole genre albeit being surpassed later on until recently. The Black Sabbath I will discuss today is the Dio years, past and modern, which far surpass anything Ozzy has done past Paranoid or Master of Reality.
The Dio years are fast paced and upbeat, and almost NWOBHM (See: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest). The highlights are some masterful riffs by Iommi and Dio's lyrics. His lyrics are hard to describe, often being ironic and poetic and really "old school." "Rainbow in the dark," "Breaking into heaven," Etc. Sabbath has recently returned to Doom, with Dio. Paired with his songwriting its some of the best in modern bands.
Also, it can be noted Dio is almost 70 and has the most energy of anyone live I've ever seen. See the video for "I" below.
Modern:
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<-Best damn title ever
The Past:
-< Best