From the weird and wonderful (though oft overlooked) death metal scene that emerged there a few decades ago to the batshit extremity of Impaled Nazarene, the symphonic magnitude of Nightwish and Apocalyptica and the folk metal storytelling of Turisas, Amorphis and Ensiferum, the Finnish metal scene can be defined by an eccentric streak that never quite manifests in the same way twice. What this guarantees is something a little bit different form the norm, and in the new album from doom outfit DÖ, we’re treated to just that.
Adopting a style the band dub “döömer” – a coming together of stoner grooves and doomy fuzz with hefty doses of psychedelia, as well as odd cameos from sludge and black metal – Astral Death Cult tackles its cosmic concepts with aplomb, with varying styles often intermixing, blurring the lines between them entirely as blackened vocals somehow meet ’70s rock riffs seamlessly. Striking a fine line between channelling the languid but hypnotic tones of stoner as well as the malevolent aura of the band’s blackened streak, Astral Death Cult is a captivating album well worth diving into in its entirety. Thankfully you can do just that right now, with the exclusive UK stream – check it out below.
Astral Death Cult is out 20th September. Pre-order here on cassette, or check out the digital release on Bandcamp.
Words: George Parr
