The music and lyrics of doom metal evoke a sense of an impending doom, dread, and despair. Bands like ‘Witchfinder General’ from England defined it as a distinct genre during the first half of the 1980s. Here are some of the prominent features of this sub-genre of heavy metal:

Instruments

The most common instruments used in doom metal are the bass guitar, electric guitar, and drum kit. Sometimes, keyboards are also used to produce the desired effect. The structures of doom metal remain rooted in the same scales as in blues. For using large amounts of distortion, the bassists and guitarists often tune down their instruments to low notes. 

This produces a thick or heavy tone of guitar, which is one of doom metal’s main characteristics. Thus, a loud wall of sound heavy with bass is created. Another defining feature in the instrumentation is a consistent focus on minor tonality and slow tempos. Repetitive rhythms are also employed often without much emphasis on musical structure and harmonic progression.

Lyrics

Lyrics play an important role in the doom metal genre. They are generally quite gloomy and filled with pessimism. The lyrical themes found in this heavy metal sub-genre include depression, fear, suffering, death, grief, anger, and dread. Some of the bands create lyrics in very personal and introspective ways.

Others use symbolism to convey their themes, which may be influenced by literature or occult. There are a few bands of doom metal who use religious themes. ‘Trouble’ were among the genre’s pioneering bands to first incorporate Christian imagery. Pagan and occult imagery have been used by a few others. 

Imagery about the Last Judgment to invoke dread or using crucifixes to symbolize death are some of the examples. Lyrics about drugs and drug addiction have also been written by some doom metal bands. This is commonly used by stoner doom bands to describe psychedelic or hallucinogenic events.

Vocals

Clean vocals are favored by the traditional vocalists of doom metal. These vocals are performed with a sense of desperation, pain, or despair. Generally, the high-tone wails of Ozzy Osbourne, Bobby Liebling, Frank Ferrara, and Zeep Parkes are imitated. By singing it in an operatic style, some epic doom vocalists often take it to the next level. 

Over the years, some of the pioneers of this heavy metal sub-genre left the style. Others created something completely new out of doom metal. Some bands in this genre, such as Anathema switched to the emotional and melancholic side of progressive rock. There were bands that continued creating some fabulous music in their new style.  

One of the best examples in this regard is Candlemass. This band tried different vocalists while going through several eras. They were successful in producing quality albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s. In the 2000s, many of the highly traditional doom bands and revivalists also appeared on the scene. The best examples of such bands would be Krux and Sorcerer.

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Their music greatly influenced the early heavy metal music and served as an inspiration for several doom metal bands. Black Sabbath and Pentagram composed this dark and heavy music in the early 1970s. They also gave some thrilling performances based on this music. It came to be known and referred to as ‘doom metal’ by critics, musicians, and fans in the 1980s.

Development

The doom metal bands from the 1970s greatly influenced the heavy metal sub-genre’s development in the years that followed. One of the fusion genres called stoner metal was pioneered by the band ‘Blue Cheer’. They used guitar feedback and loud amplifiers, which was apparent in their debut album, Vincebus Eruptum. 

A Welsh heavy metal band called ‘Budgie’ also produced songs that were among the loudest in those times. Although the lyrics lacked the pessimistic content, it stylistically influenced many different acts of doom metal. A Japanese band called Flower Travellin’ Band also had a great infuence on early doom metal. 

This came from two of their albums, Satori and Kirikyogen. An important forerunner to doom metal is believed to be the self-titled debut of Bang in 1971. Other groups instrumental in the popularity of doom metal were Necromandus, Iron Claw, Leaf Hound, and Sir Lord Baltimore. 

Popularity

Doom metal as a distinct genre was formed in the early and mid-1980s. This was the result of some great contributions made by the bands from the United States and England. The album Death Penalty released in 1982 marked the debut of Witchfinder General, the English pioneers of doom metal. Two of the American pioneers also released their debut albums in 1984. 

In the same year, an American band called Cirith Ungol released their second studio album titled King of the Dead. The album is regarded as an early influence on doom by many. The Swedish band Candlemass also proved to be highly influential with Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. It was released in 1986 and gave this heavy metal sub-genre its name. 

The emergence of ‘death-doom’

The origins of death-doom, which is also written as ‘death/doom’ goes back to the mid-1980s. During this period, the early progenitors began mixing traditional doom metal with the sounds of death metal. As a result, death-doom emerged as a genre in the late 1980s. 

It gained considerable popularity in the following decade. Early records by bands like Autopsy and Anathema in the 1990s included the most prominent elements of death-doom. The doom sound from the mid-1980s were combined with growling vocals, keyboards, violins, and female vocals. 

It also led to the rise of funeral doom, which is a genre combining death-doom with funeral dirge music. Funeral doom uses heavily distorted electric guitars and keyboards or synthesizers to create a ‘dreamy’ atmosphere.

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The doom metal vocals can range from clean and operatic to the more extreme death metal growls. The first doom metal band as well as the first metal band is believed to be Black Sabbath. They were an English rock band formed in 1968 in the city of Birmingham. Now, let’s take a look at some of the fusion genres of this heavy metal sub-genre.

1. Black-doom

This fusion genre of doom metal is also called blackened doom. In order to emphasize black metal’s harsh atmosphere, the black-doom bands use the slower pace of doom metal. They also maintain black metal’s Satanic ideology while melding it with doom metal’s moodier themes like depression and nihilism. 

Black-doom combines the thicker sound of doom metal with black metal’s heavily distorted guitar sound and shrieking vocals. The best examples of black-doom bands are Barathrum, Bethlehem, Dolorian, October Tide, Forgotten Tomb, and Shining.

2. Death-doom

In death-doom, slow tempos and pessimism of doom metal is combined with death metal’s growling vocals and double-kick drumming. It is influenced to a great extent by the early works of Celtic Frost and Hellhammer. 

This style of heavy metal music evolved during the late 1980s and gained considerable popularity in the 1990s. Death-doom was pioneered by bands like Winter, Novembers Doom, Anathema, Autopsy, and My Dying Bride.

3. Drone metal

Generally influenced by minimalist music, drone music, and noise music, drone metal is also called ‘drone doom’. It is defined to a great extent by sustained and repeated chords, drones, or notes in a piece of music. It lacks the presence of drums and vocals while the electric guitar is played with heavy feedback and reverb. 

Songs in this genre are often quite long without the inclusion of beat or rhythm in the traditional sense. Pioneered by the bands Boris, Earth, and Sunn O))), this style of heavy metal music emerged in the early 1990s.

4. Funeral doom

This is a fusion genre of doom metal that combines funeral dirge music with death-doom. A lot of emphasis is placed on evoking a sense of despair and emptiness with an extremely slow tempo. A ‘dreamlike’ atmosphere is created using keyboards or synthesizers. 

The electric guitars used in funeral doom are heavily distorted. Vocals are often in the background and contain mournful chants or growls. This form of heavy metal music was pioneered by the bands Esoteric, Thergothon, Mournful Congregation, Evoken, Skepticism, and Funeral.

5. Traditional doom

This fusion genre of doom metal was influenced by the heavy metal music of the 1970s and 1980s. Higher guitar tuning is commonly used by the traditional doom metal bands. Slow to mid-tempo songs are typically played by traditional doom bands with a thick and heavy sound. The electric bass follows the melody line. 

Keyboards are used at times, but they are not a primary instrument in traditional doom songs. This fusion genre of doom metal uses clean vocals with occasional scream or growl. Just like the other fusion genres of doom metal, the lyrics are dark and eerie. Witchcraft, Saint Vitus, and Reverend Bizarre are some of the bands specializing in traditional doom.

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1. Black Sabbath

This is the album that proved to be a game-changer in heavy metal music. It created the doom metal genre, which was built on a considerable degree of heaviness and satanic leanings. Owing to such characteristics, it was slammed by critics upon its release. 

Apparently, the critics were not used to the darker and twisted areas explored by Black Sabbath’s eponymous album. They dismissed the band as mere clones of bands like Black Widow and Vanilla Fudge. This debut album of Black Sabbath was released in 1970, spewing an entirely new genre. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

2. Gothic

Paradise Lost began evolving into one of the UK’s most fearless bands with this album. Along with doom metal, the album also popularized the gothic metal sub-genre. With Gothic, they pioneered the use of female vocals, an unmistakable death metal roar, and some chilling keyboard performances. 

This album proved that Paradise Lost were the leaders in their field. It comprises some of their greatly adored compositions. It has been over two decades since it released, but the sounds still invoke shivers in its listeners. These sounds remind them of a group of musicians who fearlessly ventured into the unknown realms of music.

3. Hope Finally Died…

This album is probably one of the most overlooked albums in the history of UK doom metal music. It truly deserves to be placed among the more popular releases like Gothic and Serenades. This unique album from the British band ‘Decomposed’ must be praised for its exceptional music. 

It blends doom’s mournful melancholy with the aggression of death metal. With an unparalleled brilliance, each song reveals a new spin on an existing formula. The release of Hope Finally Died… was certainly a defining moment in the British doom metal history. 

4. Turn Loose The Swans

This masterpiece came from the band My Dying Bride, who’ve always followed their singular vision defiantly. It incorporates the use of piano and violin to create a melodramatic and mournful atmosphere. This move can either be considered brave or foolish, depending upon the viewpoint of listeners. 

Songs in this album feature the multi-faceted vocals of Aaron Stainthorpe. They also contain the unique sound of the band and their dabbling with the ambient silence. Listening to them would certainly be an entirely different experience for doom metal fans.

5. The Pernicious Enigma

This sophomore album by the band ‘Esoteric’ would sound like an ultimate nightmare. It is one of the most compelling recordings in the doom metal history of the UK. Funeral doom was redefined with the release of The Pernicious Enigma in 1997. Rather than breaking it down to ‘must-hear’ tracks, it is suggested that the listeners simply experience it. 

Most of the listeners who have gone through the experience describe the album as hellishly and diabolically enchanting. They also come up with weird suggestions like taking a couple of weeks off just to absorb this album!

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