#monovoth

We’ve reached the end of February, darklings, and with the passing of another birthday I’m another step closer to the grave. Here’s what cropped up this month (besides that one snow-white pube…)

— FEBRUARY FUNERAL DOOM —

The album that whispered sweet nothings in my ear this month was Pleroma Mortem Est by Monovoth. I’ve covered this Argentinian drone doom project before, but Monovoth continues to set the bar higher with every release. If you’re looking for a soundtrack to our collective plod toward nothingness, then this is it. 

Clamor Resonat is particularly introspective, with a distant howl drawing ever nearer. This funerary slog has the slowest of builds, but manages to avoid predictability at every turn. When the next note finally drops it’s low and slow enough to satisfy the most discerning doomheads.

Despite its brevity, Somnia stands out with its shimmering guitar tone in the sparse atmosphere. It’s unquestionably one of the most beautiful doom arrangements I’ve heard in a while. 

If Somnia is all lunar radiance, then Denique Mors is the dark side of the moon. This one’s an agonized dirge with an experimental spirit. This gritty offering toys with texture and intensity. Brutal guest vocals by Lindsay O’ Connor help usher us through the gates of hell. 

If you like Dylan Carlson’s sound, but wish it was more ponderous and grim, then this shit's for you. These tracks struggle with their own mortality in a sundowning world. Join the procession, and grab this on Bandcamp before your own lights go out.

— A SWEET DRONE RELEASE —

If dark ambient soundscapes are your thing, then you’ll wave your antennae with glee to know that drone master insectarium just dropped the necrophage emerges divine. Wriggle right into this sonic cocoon as we journey through the lowest moments in life and out the other side. Owlripper Recordings is always generous with their music, so scuttle down to the bottom of the Bandcamp page to find the link for a free download code. 

— SAVORY SINGLES —

Long Beach doom cats O ZORN! have been serving up post-hardcore goodness lately with a string of singles. My favorite has got to be Slow Mood. Like the monster that lives in your bedroom, this brooding earworm skulks in the corner, but its hulking frame is impossible to ignore. I swear you’re going to be humming this shit all day.

February also brought us Bow Down by Detroit’s Temple Of The Fuzz Witch. It’s some properly fucking fuzzed-out blackened doom. It’s thick as tar and absolutely vicious. I want to climb into a vat of this and bathe in it until I turn into the creature from the black metal lagoon.