My Dying Bride - Songs of Darkness, Words of Light [2004]

Heavy, slow, depressing... just like a doom record should be... I've chosen this album over the latest offering (A Line of Deathless Kings) because of its inherent heavyness, funereal pace, dark atmosphere and lyrics.

"As the first notes of 'The Wreckage Of My Flesh' hit your eardrums it becomes clear that this album has an emphasis on dark atmosphere, perhaps even more so than any other My Dying Bride album. This feeling lasts throughout the album, on which obscure riffs, low, heavy keys and ominous spoken word parts determine the colour of the sound, which is near pitch black. Especially Aaron’s 'storytelling' is an important asset of this album, giving some of the songs an epic, tangible quality. It’s almost as if you're there at times. In these respects, the band has finally been able to transcend the previous albums." © Aldo Quispel - Doom-Metal.com

Samples here
Website here

Till the next one...

Novembers Doom - The Pale Haunt Departure [2005]

Formed in 1989, this awesome American quartet hails from Chicago and offers a powerful combination of heavy riffing and more melodic, softer passages, with clean and death vocals mixed together. The band signed its first contract with Italian record company Regress Record in 1992.

"The Pale Haunt Departure is not something you will want to put on if you are entertaining guests, want something to go jogging to, or to bring in some cheerful ambience. However, this is some seriously gothic and progressive extreme metal, doomy and depressing yes, but expertly played and executed." © Pete Pardo @ www.seaoftranquility.org

You can download the video of the first track - The Pale Haunt Departure - from the band's website, but be careful, it's a 228MB monster! The quality is impressive, though.

http://www.novembersdoom.com/media/palehaunt288mb.mov

Samples here
Band's website here

Have fun!

Draconian - The Burning Halo [2006]

The Burning Halo is another masterpiece form the awesome Swedish band Draconian. Published in 2006, this album features both death and femal vocals, in one of the most haunting and powerful doom records I have ever heard.

"Heavy guitars and intense growls meet romantic female vocals, head-splitting drumming, and sorrowful piano arrangements. Draconian immaculately unite these elements to create a perfect symbiosis of Gothic Metal and Doom." (© - taken from the Draconian website.)

Samples here and here.

Official website:

http://www.draconian.se/

Again, enjoy...

Opeth - Damnation [2003]

Hi everybody...

This is 'Merchant of Doom', aka 'Music for my ears', a blog about the music I like, mainly Doom and Prog Metal, but you'll see other stuff as well...

As first album, I've chosen e masterpiece (well, I think so...), Damnation, by Opeth, which sees the band drop the growiling singing style for a 'cleaner' approach to vocals. Produced by Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree and published in 2003, the songs verge on prog, with beautiful guitar work. But, hey, I'm not complaining...

Please, don't ask me to provide a link for downloading the album. Just buy the CD and support the band.

Samples here.

Their official website is here:

http://www.opeth.com/

I hope you enjoit it...