French band Abrahma feel like a relic of the Nineties, when Soundgarden and Kyuss attempted to disinfect heavy rock from the vapid, brainless excess of glam. Likewise, Reflections In The Bowels Of A Bird adds psychedelia to the usual fuzzed out stoner sound, for a well-rounded if not entirely original album. [€6]
Oregon has a vast scene of slow and heavy bands, but Akem Manah are metal in a way most of their peers aren't. Terrible artwork aside, Demons Of The Sabbat is an enjoyable doom/death album reminiscent of early Paradise Lost and Crematory. The album is available as a "name your price" download - throw them some money so they can afford Dan Seagrave for the next one.
Seedna may have a predilection for corpsepaint and posing in the snow, but other than that have surprisingly little in common with other bands that wear corpsepaint and pose in the snow; Sulphur is atmospheric doom that verges on drone, and is both deceptively simple and surprisingly affecting. With Cult of Luna being cryptic about new releases, this is an able-bodied substitute. [20 SEK]
Right now Gothenberg's Monolord seem more like a smorgasbord of hip doom influences than a fully realized sound; like Yob, Vænir is chock full of heavily reverbed, sung from underwater vocals over slower-than-Sabbath riffs; they also took the time to write a "Planet Caravan" of their own in "The Cosmic Silence". Amidst the emulation is the potential for something better. [$7.55]
