Ever since Yob resurfaced doom has gotten a mighty second wind. That's not to say that quality, sludgy, grimy awesomeness hasn't come out, but there's been several bumps in the road (coughs NEURISIS!). Dark Castle is, I think, the shining beacon in new doom. Somehow they rub me the right way, and they just get it. I'm not dissing the efforts of the Neurisis movement. In fact, I think it was a great pause for heavy bands to regroup and create something newer, better.
Their full length, Spirited Migration, was a great launching pad for the band because it combined so many good things in metal and brought it over to the doom world. Their latest work, Surrend to All Life is a journey through the abyss. Think Times of Grace 2.0. Now this is no way equal in worth as my favorite Neurosis album, but it hits you just has hard. The Floridian duo has managed to take the Isis out Neurisis and bring something quite pummeling to the table. Their secret seems to be that they waste no time noodling through aimless sections. The album is only 34 minutes; and while it ends a bit too soon in one sense you never feel as if the songs are dragged out. Sometimes slow 'n' heavy can be achieved in shorter spans. Stevie Floyd's guitar work is uncanny, blending uptempo doom with some grinding black metal touches. This album at its best seems to represent the crossroads of several sub-genres. Imagine if Yob played faster, kinda. The song writing takes you through eb and flows: crushing blackened doom dirges to cacophonous landscapes of treacherous proportions. You feel as if you're carrying the weight of the album's heaviness, and it's crushing you. Every sound, especially the vocals make sure you cannot escape. This album even during its calmer moments (Spanish guitar styled 'Create and Impulse' still has an intensity to it) does not let you take a breather. You can only think of one word: Apocalyptic.
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