epicus doomicus metallicus: Demon Lung; Mirthless; The Vein

3 bands that take doom to the heaviest of places. Let's find out what's going on.

Demon Lung (U.S.): "The Hundredth Name"

Demon Lung has taken a strong step forward from their 2012 EP "Pareidolia," which was a decent stoner/doom recording.

In my view, their music now sounds like they are ready to run with the big dogs of doom.

To me, everything has improved. A lot. It is great to hear the band playing at this level and sound so good and so confident.

Demon Lung's doom metal now has ditched the stoner tendencies (that's what I hear, anyway), which to me was holding them back in terms of heaviness and making them sound too garage, for my taste. I also thought that the vocals needed more energy or more attitude, perhaps. There are 70s doom values here, but it does not sound like retro or stoner to my ears. It does not sound contrived, either. Demon Lung is the real deal.

Now, Demon Lung has sharpened up their sound to a ton of heaviness, in the Candlemass sense of the word, and Shanda Fredrick now sounds a lot more secure, or more comfortable in the role of singer, of the voice of despondency and doom.

I'm telling you all this to get to a point: Demon Lung ought to be interesting music to the listeners that want to hear traditional doom, with clear singing, with a heavy feel in sound, with a straightforward slow and heavy approach, and with a more organic or human production.

This is not fast music, of course, and it is all gloom and doom. It's so good, though!

Demon Lung will appeal to the traditional doom listener (no symphonic, no growling and other hip things) into tons of heaviness.

www.facebook.com/demonlungband

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Mirthless (Peru): "A Dirge for Your Suicide"

Mirthless is only for the seriously devoted listener into super doom.

Mirthless goes for a production of early 80s death/black, dark and blasphemous, and the music is on the slow side of life. They will surprise you with bursts of death/black speed in places, only to bring things back to the slow-motion misery that they are specialists in.

In that sense, Mirthless is raw doom band, and will not appeal to those that demand a fancy and shiny production. It is a good sound quality and I do like this sound, but I understand that it's not for everyone. This music sounds like it is played by real human beings, and the studio magic and tricks are not the thing that Mirthless does.

If you give it a chance and are patient, you will find, as I have, that Mirthless has many, many charms. Depressive, slow fun.

www.dunkelheit-produktionen.de

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The Vein (Denmark): "Scouring the Wreckage of Time"

Monstrous death doom that works a steady beat of slow and midtempo super heavy duty, low, guttural growling, with a bit of raspy vocals in selected places; the guitar work offers a substantial amount of melody, actually.

Do you like early 90s death doom like Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride? If you think that it's been a while since you heard death doom that does emphasize the doom and you are interested in a melancholic, but still super heavy band, then I cannot imagine how you would not like The Vein.

Here's the good news: The Vein is not just heavy, The Vein has enough melody and catchy elements to add some spice to the misery. Perhaps The Vein is strictly for death doom zealots, but the strong songwriting is impressive, beyond its genre.

www.reverbnation.com/theveinband