Doom Metal

From Wikimetal

Doom Metal is a genre derived from Heavy Metal, mostly defined by its slow-paced tempo (but not only). The main lyrical themes are sadness, melancholy, devil and horror, but the music can also be about the "rock'n'roll" way of life.

Origins

Origins of doom metal can be found in Black Sabbath's first album, called "Black Sabbath". The first track ("Black Sabbath") defines the grounds for this musical genre. The hippie movement was declining back then, and singer Ozzy Osbourne wanted in this context to create a "counter-culture" with lyrics about horror, satanic imagery inspired by Aleister Crowley, etc. These influences turned into dark ambiances in the musical interpretation, with a music both heavy and oppressing at the same time. This album gathers roots for both heavy and doom metal.

Some bands in the 70s continued in this path (Pentagram, Trouble, Witchfinder General), without really slowing the pace of the music though, and mostly keeping this mix between Hard Rock and horror-movies inspired music. Horror movies were very popular back then, like Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes" in 1977.

Expansion

In the 80s the genre began to have a true impact and public audience, by playing the opposite of what was popular back then, i.e. playing always faster (speed, thrash and NWOBHM). It's only in 1986 that the term "doom metal" is coined, with the album named "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" from Candlemass, which is still regarded as a reference in the genre. Its musical style is rather influenced by epic heavy metal though.

In the late 80s, the genre expanded and lots of subgenres emerged, influenced by goth metal, death metal, but also hardcore, heavy or stoner.

Subgenres

• Doom death metal:

In the early 90s a new genre derived from doom and death metal emerged, and was quickly popularized around the globe through three bands from the UK and signed on Peaceville Records, namely Paradise Lost, Anathema and My Dying Bride (also named the "big three"). This subgenre is more aggressive than traditonal doom, and uses typical death metal vocals ("grunts"). These three bands have later turned into alternative and atmospheric rock/metal bands, with only My Dying Bride sticking to the doom/death.

• Sludge doom:

This particular scene was born in New Orleans (NOLA), originating from the southern rock movement. This scene is traditionally opposing to jazz and R'&'B, mostly played by african-american bands, by taking brutal and aggressive elements from hardcore punk and mixing it to slow-paced tempos, in order to create a "sludgy" atmosphere in the music. Eyehategod or Crowbar are regarded as referene in this genre. Lyrics are often political and redellous, but can also refer to drug addictions and decay. Vocals are influenced by hardcore/grindcore.

This subgenre later expanded into different directions, sometimes influenced by Stoner (Bongzilla, Corrosion Of Conformity, Down) - without the "psychedelic" ambiances though -, and sometimes by industrial music (Corrupted, Amen Ra, Acid Bath), or post-rock/hardcore (Pelican, Neurosis, Cult Of Luna), or even drone doom.

• Drone doom:

This subgenre is quite specific and the music style is very slow-paced with lots of fuzz/distorsion. Derived from doom and sludge, the subgenre uses huge amplifiers distorsion and saturations to give a buzzy sound to the music. The subgenre originates from the band Earth, which were regarded back then as a bunch of drug addicts without any idea how to play music whatsoever. Dylan Carlson was the leader of the band, and was also the manager of the label Subpop (Nirvana).

A "typical" drone song can last up to one hour, and rarely involves drums at all. The music is mostly composed with guitars, bass and keyboards. Vocals can be similar to black metal ones, like Attila Csihar, Malefic and Wrest performed in their appearances in Sunn O))).

Connected in some way to noise music, drone expanded out of the metal scene with bands such as Asva or Earth, and experimental projects such as Ginungagapp. A lot of drone projects involved Stephen O'Malley, an emblematic protagonist in the genre. The subgenre is also expanding in the electro scene today with bands like Oren Ambarchi or Merzbow.

• Stoner doom, or "Stoom":

This hybrid subgenre makes great use of fuzz (initially brought up by Jimi Hendrix by sticking a pen into his guitars amplifier) and psychedelic sounds originating from stoner rock (Kyuss, Fu Manchu) and progressive/psychedelic rock (Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix), mixing it with the slow-paced tempo and music saturation of traditional doom metal.

The album "Forest Of Equilibrium" from Cathedral (formerly performing doom death) is regarded as the origin of this subgenre. Then bands such as Electric Wizard, Sleep or YOB will expand and define the genre, which is sometimes associated with 70s hard rock revival, called "retro-metal", both initiated by stoner bands (The Sword, Orange Goblin, Solace) and doom bands (Goatsnake, Hangman's Chair, Acid King). This music is also largely inspired by 70s traditional heavy/doom metal and mostly Black Sabbath.

• Gothic doom:

A wave of symphonic metal bands emerged in the mid-90s with female vocals (often soprano), influencing several genres (black, dark and doom metal - particularly doom/death with bands like Theatre Of Tragedy and Within Temptation, which will also evolve into other genres). Type O Negative, a band representative of the genre, is often quoted as an influence for doom metal bands.

• Funeral doom:

Funeral doom is a subgenre pushing the slow side of doom metal to the maximum, and developing the atmosphere of the music to create an ambiance of emptiness and decay. This subgenre can be assimilated to doom/death with even slower tempos, and often incorporating elements of ambient music, distorted noises, samples, etc. The subgenre was initially brought up by Thergothon, and then developed by Skepticism and Funeral. Modern examples include Monolithe, Mournful Congregation, Shape Of Despair, Evoken and Tyranny.

• Traditional doom:

Traditional doom can be seen as modern "revival" scene of the early doom music (like "revival thrash" for example), although this scene never really stopped expanding. This "subgenre" (some regards "traditional doom" as the only true genre of doom metal) is led by Reverend Bizarre, Pale Divine, Rising Dust or Weird Light.

See also the doom metal category.