If the glacial dynamics of previous metal and hardcore abstractions Celestial and Oceanic didn't prove that Isis was a heavy band in every sense, then Panopticon should do the trick. The title comes from 18th century philosopher Jeremy Bentham's prison design, which was later referenced by Michael Foucault in the 20th century. The idea is that a centrally placed guard or watcher can keep track of a large number of prisoners, and it excited Bentham and concerned Foucault. Heavy stuff for a metal band, huh? Both are quoted in the liner notes, bookended by aerial industrial photos laying out society's open sprawl. It fits perfectly with the epic music on the disc itself, which is as angular as post-rock forefathers Slint and as cosmically expansive as Neurosis, yet closer to the intensity of hardcore than either of them…

Heavy metal always provides in our hour of need. The return of Sorcerer seems particularly timely, such is the Swedes' noted mastery of an epic, classic and utterly ageless strain of doom metal that can hardly fail to resonate in an age of widespread mourning. Perhaps more importantly, however, "Lamenting of the Innocent" is far more than just another exercise in sledgehammer sorrow. Metal's ability to inspire and uplift hardly needs restating here, but within seconds of first track proper "The Hammer of Witches", it's obvious that this is as much a celebration of heavy metal as it is a funeral march. Weirdly, there is much joy and reassurance lurking in these snail's-pace hymns to religious misdeeds and spiritual torment…

The Swedish doom peddlers Sorcerer will be releasing their third studio album (via Metal Blade Records) called 'Lamenting Of The Innocent' on May 29. The popular metal group successfully blends Candlemass-style epic doom with shades of Iron Maiden to serve up a unique treat for lovers of doom metal. They originally formed in 1989, disbanded in 1992 and then reformed in 2010.

Sinister Downfall' is a German Funeral Doom Band of the sole founder and only band member Eugen Kohl, who himself is mainly active in the field of black metal (his projects include Donarhall, Nihilisticon and others) and heavy doom metal (Death Carrier). Eugen is responsible for the entire songwriting and for all instruments. He is also doing the mixing and mastering of all his work. The second album "A Dark Shining Light" will be released on May 25, 2020!

Obsidian… dark, reflective and black: it’s a pretty decent description of the music that Paradise Lost have been making over the last 32 years, even though this most resilient of British metal bands have stoically refused to be pinned down to one easily defined formula. Powered by a lust for creativity and a stout devotion to haunting heaviness, Paradise Lost have defied the odds by coming back stronger than ever over the past decade.
From the deceptive elegance and dual atmospheres of opener "Darker Thoughts" through to the crushing, baroque doom of war-torn closer "Ravenghast", Obsidian reveals a band in masterful control of a broad array of vital ideas.

Obsidian… dark, reflective and black: it’s a pretty decent description of the music that PARADISE LOST have been making over the last 32 years, even though this most resilient of British metal bands have stoically refused to be pinned down to one easily defined formula. Powered by a lust for creativity and a stout devotion to haunting heaviness, PARADISE LOST have defied the odds by coming back stronger than ever over the past decade.

Forgotten Tomb's tenth studio album and follow up to "We Owe You Nothing" (2017). The album's cover artwork is a painting, specifically drawn for this release by artist Paolo Girardi (Power Trip, Bell Witch, Inquisition). It complements the misanthropic and introvert nature of music and lyrics alike. "Nihilistic Estrangement" was produced by Ferdinando "Herr Morbid" Marchisio (vocal, guitars) and mixed by Alessandro "Algol" Comerio (bass). Jack Control mastered the album at Enormous Door Studios (Darkthrone, Aura Noir, Martyrdod).

My Dying Bride is a veteran English doom and gothic metal band known for serpentine compositions, dark, brooding atmospherics, beautifully produced recordings and a theatrical stage presence. Though they began as a "slower-than-usual" death metal band with brutal recordings such as 1993's As the Flower Withers and Turn Loose the Swans, the slow, dark, atmospherically brooding nature of their later recording such as 1999's The Light at the End of the World and 2001's The Dreadful Hours were invested with both classical and romantic themes, and found them ushering in gothic metal; they were also a prime influence on the second wave of doom metal alongside Anathema and Paradise Lost, the so-called "Peaceville Three" (all three bands were signed to the label at the time).