Chilean Stoner Doom Trio OCULTUM Drop Massive Weed-Touched Groove
Continuing in the legacy of Sleep, BelzebonG, Dopethrone, Weedeater, and Bongripper, comes OCULTUM – not a new band, by any means. The Santiago three-piece outfit has been jamming dark, crunchy doom-laden vibes since 2009, with two albums already notched on the belt and a third on the way – released by no less a label than Heavy Psych Sounds. ‘Buena Muerte’ (2024) features the morbid, possessed, grave-stomping rhythm section of Ricardo Robles on drums and Pablo Cataldo on bass, the latter joining Sebastián Bruna (guitar & vocals) as two of the longest running members of the group. Robles joined Ocultum in 2018, but that’s still six years, so this team has had a chance to really solidify. Judging from their latest 12-minute single, the new album is going to be formidable.
“Last Weed on Earth” starts out slow, like a slumberer awaking to find he’s got one joint left to his name, then the panic sets in and things get a bit, well, vicious. Let’s let the band explain:
“Last Weed on Earth” is a song that evokes the concept of 70s songs where all the riffs and settings tell a story which lands in a fictional but no less possible place especially with the threat of war and nuclear apocalypse constantly looming over humanity: And when there’s only one marijuana plant left on the planet? Who will be there to smoke it? Humans have sealed their fate but on the borders of space and sea another truth hides. “Last Weed on Earth” is our heavy journey loaded with acid blues intense riffs that won’t let you think about a tomorrow for this failed humanity.“
From the beginning, the riffage builds patiently and locks in with single-minded focus, buttressed by a deadly, determined beat. The song ends on a zoned-in headbanging pulse, emanating an irradiated low-end that will tickle the eardrums of any fuzz lover.
Incidentally, the band contributed to our massive survey of Chilean heavy music on Doomed & Stoned in Chile during the pandemic and it’s great to see them going strong into the new year, when you can expect to find these five new abysmally awesome tracks. Releasing February 28th on vinyl, CD, and digital via Heavy Psych Sounds (pre-order here). Recorded at Plex Studios in Santiago, mastered by Esben Willems of Monolord at Studio Berserk in Sweden.
Give Ear…
SOME BUZZ
OCULTUM started when they decided to enter the studio to record their debut album titled 'Ceremonia Oculta Primitiva’ (2015), this material was reworked and, after many hours, it was finally released in a self-produced deluxe edition of Digipack CD Pro 3 panels (500 copies sold out) and on Pro Tape by Manifectation Records of Antofagasta (100 copies sold out).
After some changes the group decided to continue as a trio and in 2019, OCULTUM released their second album 'RESIDUE,’ 4 extremely heavy songs/trips that reach 50 minutes crushing silence, with a psychedelic and valve production, this album takes you to their own characteristic sound, a hard vision of how Doom, Stoner and Sludge should sound at the end of the planet. It has been released on Tape and Vinyl on Interstellar Smoke Records (Poland), on Pro Tape by Manifectation Records from Antofagasta (100 copies sold out) and on CD on Black Bow Records (England) being signed directly by the label owner, John Davis, vocalist of the brutal doom band, Conan. In his words: "Honestly, if you think that Doom is dying and is becoming too modern and dependent on generic reference points, then you should check it out because Ocultum will fucking KILL you.”
The band says: “We are currently releasing with force and conviction our third album, 'Buena Muerte,’ a concatenated anthem that explores death as a central theme, highlighting its benevolence towards a human being who cries out in all ways for its inevitable extinction. 'Buena Muerte’ is, in turn, an experiment in resurgent creativity where a vibe of the 70s, metal and chaos converge, on the dilapidating base of the heavy and crushing doom stoner that OCULTUM sacredly cultivates.”
Fresh Heaviness From South America’s Dixie Goat
Death is a gentleman, too.
He makes good losers of us all.
Give fifty years to someone without any apparent drive toward self-improvement or capacity to mature, recycle, renovate, and otherwise improve things around them, and you will probably find them in exactly the same place – no change, making the same mistakes, failing to advance. On the other hand, give just five years to a person operating with the opposite mindset, with a tendency toward exploring new ideas, unafraid of doing something different, and their creativity will probably surprise you. This thought crossed my mind as I was listening to the new album by Chilean band DIXIE GOAT.
With a debut that made their direction and musical ability quite evident, represented by the lively ‘Black Sun Child’ (2015), Dixie Goat provided us with the best possible elements of stoner rock, hard rock, and doom metal. They established their sound and style with a sense of sobriety and maturity, drawing parallels to great bands like Corrosion of Conformity, Spirit Caravan, Orange Goblin and Brant Bjork. This energetic, balanced, and all-around solid album was the kick-off for the band’s trajectory that now culminates in 'There’s No Light Without Darkness’ (2020). Their latest offering demonstrates how much a band can fulfill their essence – presenting us with their best efforts, yet still finding room to grow and sound fresh (without losing what made us first appreciate them) — all within the span of half-a-decade.
Coming from a country that boasts of crystal clear musical quality within the stoner strata, Dixie Goat (who hails from the capital city of Santiago) sounds slower and denser in this new work. Beginning with the album’s title track, we’re taken in a direction that much darker than their first opus, yet no less authentic to the trio’s core identity or musical intentions. The Sabbathic “There’s No Light Without Darkness” introduces us to the band’s expanded musical universe in condensed, instrumental form.
This is succeeded by a doomer with grungy touches, “Dancin’ On Your Grave.” One notices, as the elements unfold, the dynamic previously dictated by this “love triangle” (fast, heavy, and dense) now favors a little more of the gloomy and funereal.
The third segment “Two Faces” is a great example of this grungy-doom/doomy-grunge characteristic, demonstrated by Nikk’s vocal approach – which sometimes had me imagining Layne Staley obsessed with Corrosion of Conformity’s Pepper phase. To be clear, this is a huge compliment, and “Widow’s Tear” follows suit with swampy verses set to a powerful beat.
The lively, up-tempo pace of Dixie Goat’s past is not lost on their newest material, for following this we have “Green Karma” spicing things up a bit with an extra dose of speed, sliding out of the slower-paced script thus far and betting on the bluesy groove of the hard rock tradition. As we move from “Zuma” to “Supershit” into the last track, the band isn’t just stepping on the gas a little; they’re practically sticking their boot to the accelerator (at least compared to earlier tempos) to deliver an explosive rock´n roll vibe without strings or limitations.
“From One Hell To Another” joins the doomy grunge and stoned hard rock elements with exquisite coherence, sacramenting this album closer with a melancholy atmosphere that suddenly turns energetic in its final moments, as it summons us to one final dance through the desert.
Honouring the scene from whence they belong and which has presented so many great stoner-doom bands to us (Kayros, Yajaira, La Jack, and others), the power trio Dixie Goat put a bullet right on the bullseye with this new album (recorded by YBM Records and mastered by the great Jack Endino). The emphasis on low tuning and murky vocals is palpable, and the choice of tones is quite tasty and on-point – balancing the lightest and fastest tempos against the weight and might of the slowest. Continuing in this manner, with the wisdom to improve as much as possible in a short timeframe, the band will no doubt have a bright and promising future.
Dixie Goat’s There’s No Light Without Darkness is availalbe in digital and vinyl format via Electric Valley Records.
Doom Around The World
Episode 1.4
Trapped in the middle of a presidential campaign which becomes more nauseating by the hour, this month I offer you reprieve, my dear doomers and stoners (or should I say “bad hombres”?). And unlike the false dichotomy presented to voters, we have some real choices before us today. Join me now, as we explore….and DOOOOOOOM)))))) Around the World~!
Australia
Damning doom by OHM RUNE gives us our launch, and what a lift-off it is. The riff that opens is instantly likeable and will be a recurring track in your playlist. If you’ve ever wondered, “What if Cobra Commander had started a band?” Ohm Rune is your answer. Alex’s venomous vocals are a clear standout on this release, the Perth duo’s debut on Arrest Records. ‘Star Destroyer-Adrift" was recorded/mixed by Sam Ford at Tone City Recording Studio in Perth and mastered by Brad Boatright at Portland’s Audiosiege. Good shit, y'all.
Austria
A doom band can easily subsist on the power of its own riffs, but there are times when the vocals completely set it apart. We’re used to epic singing, but nothing has prepared you for the gravelly, pitched-low-as-a-snake-to-the-ground sound of Philipp 'Five’ Seiler’s vox. Pulling double duty on guitar, Five is joined by another guitarist, who goes simply by Rotten, and a drummer, Marian Waibl. We were first introduced to Vienna’s TAR LUNG in 2014, a record that really put a vice grip on our precious privates. Now, this down-tuned, amp worshipping blues machine is back with more of that swampy southern soup, and 'Void’ is simmering with hurt and vengeance. If you had any doubts about pressing play on this one, well, how can you say no to a song titled, “Demon Sugar Blues”? You’ll be in the sway of its swagger in no time. A friend of mine tipped me off to this one, and I swear I could not. stop. listening.
Belgium
Following last May’s introduction, 'One Mic Garage Takes’ (2015), Leuven psychedelic doom foursome DORRE drops their most substantial offering to date. Adriaan De Raymaeker (guitar), Wolf Overloop (drums), Etherik Heyns (guitar), and Andrew Hockley (bass) are downright impressive in 'One Collapsed at the Altar’ (2016). The 30-minute heavy instrumental composition is a churning sea that starts tranquil enough, but steadily grows more tumultuous, buttressed by wicked fuzz and gritty downtuned riffs, which gradually become more polyphonic, creating a complex weave of textures that cannot help but pull you into this beautifully tangled web of destruction. For points of reference, think Seattle’s Giza, San Diego’s Deep Sea Thunder Beast, or even the great Inter Arma. There is also an element of calm that one could compare to OM, though the Belgian band always has something more ominous bubbling.
Canada
I’ve been a huge fan of the young Toronto outfit HORSE LUNG since their formation. You may recall their LP, 'Gethsemane Haze’ (2015), was a favorite amongst underground music bloggers and placed well on the Doom Charts last year. This fall, Horse Lung are back with a new track, featured on a split cassette with Santa Monica death-doom 'n’ power violence act ERODE. “Rattenkönig” is a massive number, clocking in at over 21 minutes, that builds, builds, builds on a simple monastic riff, growing ever more dense and complex as the song evolves, with baroque variations. The complex fugal development can make for challenging listening, though I found it utterly engrossing. You can feel the tension, the frustration, the pain, like the swirling vortex of Hades in Dante’s Inferno. Drummer James Marrow says, “It’s a lot different from our older material” and his dirge-like rhythms help the piece to stay together as it stretches the boundaries of tonality. More to the point, this instrumental feels like it is coming to terms with a psychotic breakdown.
Chile
One of the players in Chile that has gotten my attention this year is Santiago’s DEJALOSANGRAR (“let it bleed”), who have released a remarkable pair of albums within the mere space of months. They’re the only band I know of besides Karma To Burn that numbers their songs, rather than give them titles. Perhaps it’s because the songs are instrumental, but more than likely it’s because the sounds defy words. Habach / Polanco / Robles is what you hear when you awake in the still of morning, coming to terms with the surreal events of the night before. The songs make me think of an Iommian cadence that has jumped off from the middle of a Sabbath song and is soaring into space.
I hasten to add that rarely do we hear heavy music played with such deftness, sensitivity, and attention to detail (check out the bad-ass seesaw bassline 2 minutes into “1234,” and the tight drumming and subtle incorporation of Latin rhythms that follow). If there is a loudness war, Dejalosangrar are its pacifists. Rodrigo, Hernan, and Jorge can pull off quiet in an otherwise stentorian medium, rivaling peers who have tried similar. And when they do get revved up, best get the fuck out of the way, because Dejalosangrar is anything but predictable.
By the way, did you know we have another blog dedicated solely to tracking the doom scene in Latin America? Roman Tamayo from Vinnum Sabbathi does a great job as editor of the blog. Check it out here when you get a chance.
Czech Republic
Doom gels into all kinds of twisted shapes. Take Gothic doom, for example. Admittedly, it’s taken a bit of cajoling for me to give this sub-genre a fair listen. Opeth, Type O Negative, and My Dying Bride have brought some form of Gothic doom to the ears of heavy music listeners who might not otherwise be engaged by doom. It’s time you meet another compelling voice in this sub-genre: SELF-HATRED. From the record’s opening bars, it’s clear that this is a band that thinks and feels deeply about the music they compose. Hearkening back to bands of symphonic proportions like Draconian, Paradise Lost, and Abysmal Grief, the Czech band accomplishes their designs through blackened tremolos, aggressive beats, the incorporation of some pretty gnarly growls and shrieks, and an atmosphere that summons all the grandiosity of a cathedral’s spire. 'Theia’ (2016), Self-Hatred’s first album, is surely a remarkable addition to the annals of Doom Gothique and one that I found quite accessible.
Denmark
“I’m tired of living. In my desk, I have a revolver and every night I take it out and pray for the courage to pull the trigger, but I can’t.” The band is DRUNKER from Copenhagen and this is their self-titled debut. There’s a lot to like about this release, from the story-telling quality of the opening of a song like “Get High On Your Own Supply,” which you realize mid-way through doesn’t really need lyrics. This song and others on the album bear the influence of the Sleep School of Doom Metal.
We do get vocals, of course, in songs like “I Am The Savior, And So.” They remind me a lot of Mammut (one of my favorite stoner bands). Song after song, Drukner continues to impress me with their musical instincts and inventiveness (that riff in the closing moments of that last track is just brilliant). My favorite of the record, though, is “Gnarnia,” which samples from the dark monologue of the Twilight Zone’s 'Long Live Walter Jameson.’ “I’ve been close to death, but never close enough” has never sounded more chilling, amplified by the dank, fuzzy haze. 'Drukner’ was recorded live in Copenhagen by Anders Haaning and mastered by the great James Plotkin. A very promising beginning for Casper, Kåre, Palle, and Mikkel and easily one of the finer records you’ll encounter in the whole of 2016.
France
We know doom gets slow and low right and it can up its game and blow you away with an up-tempo stoner rhythm or simply wallop you with a massive wall of sound, but can doom be as effective with a more subtle approach? Bordeaux three-piece ENDLESS FLOODS juxtaposes crusty, gut-wrenching vocals (a la the body) and powerful, lumbering chords with a quiet, gentle touch. The result not only works, it is extraordinarily moving. Listening to this didn’t feel like an exercise in patience, as some funeral doom can.
Let’s talk sonics. The reverberating low end and the quiet moments are both captured so gorgeously it practically moved me to tears. I can’t say enough good things about the dynamic range of these compositions! If you’re worried about the ever-escalating “loudness wars” in sound engineering, mixing, and mastering, I think you’ll find the Endless Floods debut to be nothing less than an oasis (case in point, track #3: “Floods”).
Having just recently witnessed the conscientious detail to which a band like Mars Red Sky crafts its songs, unfurling them with extraordinary care live (to great emotional effect), I’m tempted to make some glowing generalizations about French heavy music. It appears that gourmet cuisine is not the only thing the French pursue with passion and excellence. Just when you think doom has made its last stand and said all it needed to say, bands like these come along and renew your confidence in the rich diversity inherent in the genre’s genetic code.
Germany
More beautiful, fuzzy doom to take with you on your next family picnic. This record comes all the way from Garlstorf, Germany and contains six tracks with a dark hue. There’s also a feeling that each song is searching for something, on a quest maybe. 'Traumakarussell’ is the title of the EP, and I suppose that alone speaks volumes for the intent of this record. It’s an exploration of a life fettered by traumatic events and the defiant response to them. Designated as a “demo” by four-piece GONGER-OM, there are varied musical influences at work here. I have to say, I was really taken in by it the moment the verse begins into the lead track, “Brunt.” While they are death vocals, singer Marvin Thiemicke never overstates his case and somehow that works very well for these songs. The pace picks up for “Maniac In The Fog,” as the band rages against the intruder in the unknown. Give 'Traumakarussell’ a go. Well worth the ride.
Guernsey
Well, this is a surprise. Guernsey, truly your doom has come! Yes, I admit, I had to look the place up (and if I had to, so do you). Meet BRUNT. You may actually remember them as the band that brought us that iconic album cover by Nikita Kaun and Natalie Foss for their debut some years back. They do know how to pick 'em, for the new art by Eric Krick is quite compelling, too. Not that the music takes a back seat to the gorgeous visuals, much the contrary. Brunt cares as much about crafting their sound as their image. This three-tracker is performed and produced with extraordinary presence, reminding me of the grandiosity of bands with that big sound, like Inter Arma, Pelican, and Russian Circles. As I listen to the opening track, I melt into the mix, my mind stolen away into a world of sound that is both exquisite and dreadful.
Hungary
When I saw Cough was going to be playing the Desszert Feszt in Budapest, part of me was bemused they were booked in a predominantely stoner rock festival. Would they follow Yawning Man? Zippo? Planet of Zeus? Perhaps Karma To Burn or the Atomic Bitchwax was not too far a stretch, but still, Cough seemed the odd band out…until I saw who was opening for them: OAKEN. So I started listening, intending to just sample their latest, 'King Beast’ (2016) and I couldn’t stop. Each time I thought I’d move on to something else, the ravenous singing, the obsessive drumming, and the deadly riff-making kept me thoroughly engaged. Man, this album does not let up!
Sweden
Now this is an interesting find: “Six songs of Deadly Black Doom played with dedication to Sathanas Trismegistos.” The release by Stockholm-based HEAD OF THE DEMON has gradually taken hold since its quiet release on Walpurgis Night, so much so that it has since been issued on CD and in the past month was pressed to vinyl. The brainchild of Johannes Kvarnbrink (of the black metal band Mortus), Head of the Demon’s opus is steeped in the foggy mysteries of the Lovecraftian underworld. Another reviewer called their sound a “perfect blend of doom and spookiness.” Heartfelt is the word that comes to mind when listening to Sathanas Trismegistos. The simple use of arpeggiated major-minor chords is put to great effect when contrasted with the full-bodied growls of Kvarnbrink’s throaty vocals.
This journey has taken us around the world and across the alphabet, and now we land in the native stomping grounds of the Goate and close our tonal excursion for today…but do not fear. We shall be back in the weeks ahead for more DOOOOOOOM)))))) Around the World~!