Doom Metal Milestones

In order to spread the Evangelium of Doom to the most possible people before the End of Mankind I am writing this post in English.
(Okay, so it doesn't look so professional to mix different languages, but it's my blog, and if I want to write in both Swedish, English and Japanese I'm going to do it)

Since I surprised a certain beloved one with my conservative taste and by including only one doom metal album in my "six metal classics" post, I decided to list the abolutely best and essential doom metal albums.
Of course, my affection for crushing doom metal does not in any way contradict my taste for classic metal from the 70s and the 80s. On the contrary, I think doom metal is the metal subgenre of today that to the greatest extent incorporates the spririt of classic metal and hard rock.

For those who are not as yet familiar with the genre, I begin with a short description of what, in my humble opinion, the characteristics of Doom Metal are.
First and foremost, it has to be HEAVY as a mountain falling down and crushing you underneath it. We are talking Black Sabbath riffs only ten times heavier. Second, it has to be so SLOW, as a contrast to most other metal genres. So slow (and this might not be a joke) that you can take a sip of tea or your beverage of choice between two "headbangs" or drum beats. Third, it has to be full of darkness, sadness and depression, both in the lyrics, the atmosphere and the chords themselves.
These characteristics are present in all doom metal, but to a very varying degree. Some bands are almost painfully slow and heavy, making the listening experience unbearable for the untrained ear, while other bands who are more "uptempo" and not so extreme are praised also by the mainstream metal audience.

If these three criteria are fulfilled I think it's safe to say whe are dealing with a doom metal band. But I am in no way one of those doom metal puritans who think doom metal has to sound like a copy of the first Black Sabbath album or a Pentagram demo recording to be "true". I you have the basis you can mix it with other genres - death, goth, power, industrial, black metal, whatever - in my opinion you still belong in the doom metal genre and can be as much doom metal as ever so-called "true" doom metal bands are.

As usual, when I'm discussing music and doom metal I get a bit carried away... I think I may have lost my only reader at this point.
So, back to the true topic - listing the most Essential Doom Metal Albums:

[Band - Album (Country of origin, year of release)]

Cathedral - Forest Of Equilibrium (UK, 1991)
This is probably the album that convinced me of the greatness of doom. This debut album of the classic British band with front man Lee Dorrian (doom enthusiast and former Napalm Death vocalist), has little to do with the bands later groovier "disco metal". Instead, this is slow and funereal doom of highest quality. But although it may very well have been one of the heaviest doom album ever released it is still, in some way catchy, with memorable riffs from guitarists Jennings and Lehan and effective use of faster (that is, fast for doom metal) parts as contrast to the heavy ones.
Sadly, Cathedral has never again come close to this classic, although they have tried to recapture the heaviness on some of their later albums.

Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (Sweden, 1986)
The album that gave the genre its name, and also the debut album of one of the most hailed bands in Doom Metal (this makes me proud as a fellow Swede). This is some (as the title explains) fantastic Epic Doom Metal! Even though Messiah Marcolin, the bands classic vocalist, does not participate, this albums singer Johan Lanquist are not any less great. His vocals suits the rawer production on this album.
High quality throughout the album, but best is the doom masterpiece, opener "Solitude".


Candlemass - Nightfall (Sweden, 1987)
The second album of the Swedish doom pioneers has stronger songs than its predecessor, and although the production is a bit lighter this is not in any way less doomy or epic. This album is full of classics - "The Well Of Souls", "At The Gallows End", "Mourners Lament" and my favourite "Samarithan". As always, all tracks are written by the bands main man, bass player Leif Edling.
Of course, vocalist Messiah Marcolin and his powerful vibrato is brilliant.

Thergothon - Stream From The Heavens (Finland, 1992(?))
Finland is the home of Funeral Doom, but I have never been a big fan of the style. Sure, it's very slow and depressing, but I have always felt there was a lack of heaviness, allowing atmospheric keyboards and church organ predominate over guitar riffs.
However this is not the case for Thergothon, the godfathers of the Finnish Funeral Doom scene, who have plenty of slow, monolithic doom riffs. They create a tremendously heavy and depressive atmosphere that few - if any - bands have ever recaptured. The production is also very heavy.
Thergothon's finest moment is the track "Elemental", with its minimalistic but _so_ releasing twin guitar harmony and melodic part at the end. Pure Doom Metal Heaven!

My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans (UK, 1993)
My Dying Bride was one of the "big three" (the others being Anathema and Paradise Lost) of the early 90s British doom/death scene, but only MDB are still true to their doom/death roots. This album was also included in my "six metal classics" post, and this is surely a classic in doom/death metal. The usage of violin to create an even more sad and depressing feeling to the music was copied by many bands, although never as skillfully done as the "original".
Great doom riffs from the two guitarists and the trademark vocals from frontman Aaron (spanning from growls to "weeping" clean vocals).

My Dying Bride - The Angel And The Dark River (UK, 1995)
This album is even more depressive and doleful than its predecessor, although with a somewhat weaker production. Aaron has left his death grunts and has instead perfected his cracked-voice weeping vocals. On this album the violin has a bigger role than ever, although the guitars sure are heavy enough, creating a wonderful atmosphere of unrelenting sorrow and hopelessness. They even included a track (the beautiful "Two Winters Only") that might be called a doom metal ballad. Also worth mentioning is the epic opener "The Cry Of Mankind". This album is the ultimate soundtrack of despair.

Reverend Bizarre - In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend (Finland, 2002)
If any band could be called True Doom Metal this Finnish band would be it. They are epic doom without heading into power metal territory like Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus, slow as funeral doom but without the cheesy keyboards and lack of heavy guitars, and has the 70s Sabbath flair without any contamination of "weak stoner bullshit" (the bands own words).
Long heavy slow songs with the occasional fast parts and cool guitar solo to break the monotony, great epic vocals and suiting lyrics. All in all, the true Doom Metal hope for the new millennium!

Mournful Congregation - The Dawning Of Mournful Hymns (Australia, 2002(?))
I would never have expected the most heavy and mournful (sic!) doom metal this side of 2000 would come from an Australian band, but I guess that is just my prejudice. Extremely slow and long songs with crushing twin guitar harmonies and deep growls on top of that. The bands sound is like taking My Dying Bride at their most doomy mood and playing the music at half speed. The perfect blend of doom/death and funeral doom. Very heavy! No other band has managed to be this slow and heavy and still creating memorable riffs and songs. This is defenitely the best doom/death album released since the middle of the 90s.
The total playing time of this 2CD doom monster is more than two hours, so only for true doom maniacs!

Sirrah - Acme (Poland, 1996(?))
Great gothic doom/death from this Polish band who has three vocalists - two male (growls and clean vocals) and one female. Heavy, dark doom riffs contrasting with sad and beautiful violin parts and high female vocals makes this a little known classic in the gothic doom genre. For fans of My Dying Bride and gothic metal like old Theatre Of Tragedy.

Celestial Season - Solar Lovers (The Netherlands, 1995)
Another goth/doom/death band greatly influenced by My Dying Bride, although this Dutch band is not as dark as the British doomsters, using two violins and a cello to create a beautiful gothic tinge to their doom/death metal. Later they turned into a more groovy stoner kind of band, which there is some evidence of already on this album. But they are at their best in the more epic and atmospheric songs like "Soft Embalmer Of The Still Midnight" and "The Scent Of Eve".

Anathema - Serenades (UK, 1993)
Another of the "Big Three" in British Doom/Death. Anathema soon began to venture in non-doom territories where they made some great albums, but before that they released this doom/death classic. Not as even as My Dying Bride's release from the same year, but includes som great songs, especially opener "Lovelorn Rhapsody", with its dirge-like crescendo at the end, and the mournful "Under A Veil (Of Black Lace)" where singer Darren White uses his take on weeping vocals. "J'ai Fait Une Promesse" is a beautiful interlude with female vocals by Ruth. The album comes in a 2CD-pack with the EP Crestfallen from 1992. This is alsoo very good.

Anathema - Pentecost III (UK, 1995)

This is a mini-CD of five songs, but three of those are overlong epics, so this could count as a full-length CD. Those said songs are the highlights of this album, with "Kingdom" and "We, The Gods" presenting some great atmospheric doom metal wich builds up from quiet beginnings to powerful crescendos. Ending track "Memento Mori" opens with some powerful doom riffing and then turns into a more agressive style. This album is the last contribution to the band by singer Darren, and also marks Anathema's farewell to doom metal.

For more information on doom metal and info and links to all doom metal bands you can think of and more, this is the best site/database out there: http://www.doom-metal.com