When you think there is nowhere unique to go, Von Doom proves that there is more to do in heavy music. Blending a plethora of genres and influences, the men of Von Doom have managed to do something we haven’t heard before. Impeccably recorded at Human Studios in Portland, OR by The Human (ex-Amerakin Overdose), Von Doom have perfectly positioned themselves as impressive contenders in extreme metal.
Up first is “Wide Awake” (Featuring Jorma Spaziano of Vintersea). This over four-minute song gives you no warning and immediately hits you hard in the face. With semi-clean vocals and an undertone of dirty, Von Doom provide nice chord changes and a fun bouncy groove throughout. In a genre where its generally impossible to understand without the lyrics, they are clear enough to understand. The song highlights killer drumming, a nearly 10 second scream at 2:22, and beautiful guitars at 2:40. I had to listen a few times to hear the second guitar undertone that sounded like someone humming on the melody. The song ends as abruptly as it starts, and it is awesome.
“Condemned,” is another ‘no need for a musical intro’ song that blasts right into controlled frenzy. A slower groove sneaks into this four-minute song and supplies an interesting quicker chord pattern than you’d expect. That slower groove speeds up significantly with the accompaniment of serious licks, pummeling drums, chugging guitars, and apparently no need to breathe vocals.
Sitting at over five minutes, “Ice & Stone,” has a melodic intro with a seemingly simple and effective melody that brings you to the chorus. This song is incredibly satisfying and enjoyable and will translate great live. It is easy to follow when you are not familiar, and sturdy in all elements. At 3:18, it changes to a bit of a sludgy feel. Beautiful guitar harmonies, and nice screams in the background at just over four minutes. This is a beautifully composed song, and one of my favorites.
“Tattered Remains,” (Featuring guitar virtuoso Angel Vivaldi) is a fast, thrashy, guitar harmony heavy song with a nice groove driven chorus. The song takes you from beauty into splattering you in the face with speed and finesse. Drop in an exquisite solo, and this is my favorite track on the album.
“Death is Certain,” is a very interesting song. Instinctually you’ll think it will go up, but it tricks you and goes down. The vocals are nasty and gritty with nice clean comprehensive breaks…this song has everything: Speed interspersed with killer grooves… It’s fast, heavy, and quite frankly brilliant.
Wishing there were more than five songs, I am looking forward to picking up this CD and playing it often. Always professional, always gentlemen, the men of Von Doom have built a band that is talented, forward thinking, and girthy.
Scheduled for worldwide release on Friday, November 25th, 2022 through all digital platforms (iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, etc), it will also be available on CD in limited quantities through the Von Doom official website (http://www.vondoommusic.com) and their Bandcamp (http://vondoom.bandcamp.com)
