Fuzzy, thick riffs churn about in tracks such as вЂњCommiserating the CelebrationвЂќ and вЂњA Funeral Request.вЂќ DorrianвЂ™s dynamic vocal range in addition to the diversity of arrangements throughout much of the record create an aural adventure for the listener. Their resultant, full-length debut, Forest of Equilibrium, certainly captured much of that essence. Dorrian and bandmate Mark Griffiths built the band out of a mutual admiration for bands like Black Sabbath and Candlemass. The result of his new explorations came in the form of Cathedral.

Lee Dorrian left Napalm Death for a change of scenery in the late 80вЂ™s. вЂњBewitchedвЂќ alone bests most bandsвЂ™ entire discographies. Nevertheless, Nightfall packs some of the richest examples of doom and traditional metal ever to be made. It might not have happened at all had he not auditioned for Candlemass by singing вЂњSolitudeвЂќ to Leif Edling through a phone that his mother held for him. Messiah Marcolin was CandlemassвЂ™ best vocalist, and his performance on Nightfall undoubtedly stands as one of the defining moments in doom in its entirety. The Swedish outfitвЂ™s epic doom was groundbreaking in the mid to late вЂ™80s. ItвЂ™s not possible to be a traditional or a doom metal band without citing Candlemass as an influence. While Born Too Late might be an equally strong choice, given that itвЂ™s the bandвЂ™s first album with Scott вЂњWinoвЂќ Weinrich, their debut (featuring vocalist Scott Reagers) is doom metal in classic form-dark, raw and ominous. Yet the California bandвЂ™s sonic makeup carried more than a little punk rawness with it, their fuzzed-out riffs only a few BPMs off from the stoner rock jams of Black FlagвЂ™s later releases. Saint Vitus took a pretty major influence from Black Sabbath, naturally-Sabbath did have a song called вЂњSt. The early вЂ™80s was a pivotal time for doom metal with bands such as Witchfinder General shaping a new doom sound in the UK while back in the states, punk label SST was getting in on doomвЂ™s ground floor. Though the album fluctuates between blues-rock boogie (вЂњThe WizardвЂќ), psychedelic swing (вЂњBehind the Wall of SleepвЂќ) and heavy metal thunder (вЂњN.I.B.вЂќ), Black SabbathвЂ™s debut is the most crucial recording in the history of doom.- JT But when the song explodes into a climax, itвЂ™s the sound of doom metal being conjured from the beyond and given unholy life. The opening title track is eerie and grim, slowly creeping with Ozzy OsbourneвЂ™s narration of terrifying visions. Though it didnвЂ™t have a name yet, and heavy metal itself was still just coming to life, doom metal takes its shape in the ominous grooves and Tony IommiвЂ™s bluesy riffs on Black SabbathвЂ™s monumental debut.

Peruse our picks for the genreвЂ™s 10 best places to start, and dive into the ominous, diverse world of doom.

Though one thing they all have in common is a slower, darker, heavier take on metal than various other genres. Doom metal has many subgenres: Funeral doom, death doom, traditional doom, etc. Over the years, doom progressed from the bluesy Sabbath sound into variations that got heavier, slower, sometimes more emotionally driven and frequently more ornate. Though Sabbath is often considered more of a proto-doom band, they essentially invented the sound through Tony IommiвЂ™s low-tuned riffs and dark dirges. This week also happens to mark the 48th anniversary of the debut album by Black Sabbath, the patron saints of doom metal. ThereвЂ™s a funny irony in putting up a list of essential doom metal records on the week of ValentineвЂ™s Day, though itвЂ™s just a coincidence.

Doom gothic metal bands