Bandcamp Picks: Fvnerals, King Woman, Muscle and Marrow, Menace Ruine

Is "doom folk" a thing? FVNERALS deliver somber, droning not-quite-metal. The spelling of their name is apt: There's no "fun" anywhere on The Light, just bleakness and a peculiar sense of weightlessness. The city of Brighton must be a pretty grim place to spawn bands like this and Glissando. [£6]



King Woman play a haunting and heavy amalgam of dream pop and doom drone. [Doom pop? Dream drone?] Doubt sounds like Mazzy Star woke up in bed with Nadja, and the two decided to stay together. My only gripe with this four song EP is the length. Always leave them wanting more, I guess. [$3.95]



If you've ever imagined what a collaboration between Earth and PJ Harvey would sound like (and be honest, you have not - no one has), the result would probably sound like Portland's Muscle and Marrow. The Human Cry combines morose drone with the kind of theatrical warbling that presumably made Nick Cave's knees weak. Surprisingly dark, occasionally crushing, definitely intriguing. [$7]



Any doom metal fan looking for a bridge to the wider world of dark ambient could do worse than Menace Ruine. On their third album Venus Armata, keyboards, "martial" drums, and sparse guitar lines/noise, serve as a backdrop to Genevieve Beaulieu's forlorn vocals. A triumph of minimalism. [$8]

Bandcamp Picks: Earth, Dread Sovereign, Iron Void, Cardinal Wyrm

After the double dose of tepidness that was Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light, Earth come roaring back with Primitive and Deadly. Since 2005, Dylan Carson has been carving out his own niche of western tinged, psychedelic doom/drone, and the results here are nothing short of sublime. Vocals - a rarity in the Earth canon - are used sparingly but to good effect, courtesy of Rose Windows' Rabia Shaheen Qazi and the Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan (lest anyone forget Earth's grunge/Subpop cred]. This is the best thing the band have done since 2008's The Bees Made Honey, and possibly even better than that. [$7.99]



Dread Sovereign is the doomy, Satan-loving brainchild of Primordial's Alan Averill. Owing perhaps to the genre bending of his main band, All Hell's Martyrs isn't just heavy but surprisingly inventive, alternating between bluesy Sabbathness and a more droning, atmospheric approach. This should tide Primordial fans waiting for the next full-length, as well as anyone hungering for a doom band that isn't the usual dredged up sludge. [€7]



Is it me, or is there a doom metal renaissance going on in the North of England? Iron Void stomp heavy boots of lead like a less manic Orange Goblin, or a less bluesy Spirit Caravan. All the true doom ingredients are present on their self-titled debut: unabashed Iommi worship, Ozzy-ish warbling, topless chick on the cover... why isn't this on Rise Above? [Note: A standalone download isn't available yet, though one comes when you order the CD, which is £10].



Even though their songs average 8 minutes, you'll know whether Cardinal Wyrm is for you or not within seconds; if the operatic singing doesn't send you in the opposite direction screaming (or laughing), then you'll find a fantastic slab of tote bag metal. Somewhere between Sleep and Therion, Black Hole Gods finds a balance between earth rumblingly heavy and shamelessly melodramatic. Frankly, I'm kind of surprised by how much I'm digging this; but considering how highly I rate the similarly eclectic Grayceon, maybe I shouldn't be. [$8]