Since I’m kind of all over the map on what I like to listen to, for this post I’m going to stick specifically to the Doom Metal genre of albums that I’ve picked up from eMusic that I find praiseworthy.

There’s only one full album that Warhorse ever put out and it’s balls-out awesome Doom. As Heaven Turns to Ash has some of the heaviest, slowest and lowest bass lines I’ve heard. The style leans on the psychedelic side with the main tracks interspersed with light and at times folk-like short instrumentals. It sounds weird as I try to describe it, but it works. Heavily inspired by Black Sabbath and L.S.D., Warhorse ranks right up there with Electric Wizard as one of my favorite Doom bands. If you’re not into Doom Metal, this album will change that. This is really good shit.

There’s not enough bands out there that do what Church of Misery does. Hailing from Tokyo, these guys practice some intense 70’s era rock worship. Listening to Yoshiaki Negishi’s Lemmy-inspired, cigarette and alcohol tuned vocals paired with the band’s heavily distorted and bluesy riffs, I think of of jean jackets, aviator sunglasses, facial hair and pimped out vans. I was immediately in love with this album. “Master of Brutality” is 6 awesome tracks of Stoner Doom, each one about a different serial killer. These guys have massive, hairy nut-sacks. This is a worthy addition for anyone who likes old-school, post-hippie, classic rock.

It’s fair to say that you’d need to be into the more abstract and extreme edges of Doom Metal to appreciate Khanate. Their debut album can be summed up in one word: Torture. Most people would be of the “Why the fuck would you ever want to listen to that?” opinion. That said, I like it. Specifically, I really dig the bizarre and utterly fucking tortured screeching of vocalist Alan Dubin. The guy’s got a very disturbing and distinct style. The album’s very slow, with heavy crashes and feedback. There’s some great long pauses, filled with morbid whispering and the lyrics are just fucking…weird.

Burning Witch was a short lived band, but their album, “Crippled Lucifer (Seven Psalms For Our Lord Of Light)” is a classic of extreme Doom Metal. It’s slow, it’s tortured and it’s very angry. Occasionally, the album vocals get almost melodic, but quickly go right back to screeching and screaming which is the bread and butter as far as I’m concerned. Stephen O’Malley’s (of Drone Doom gods, Sunn O))) fame and just about every other Doom band out there, it seems) guitar is droning, minimal and perfect. This is a very satisfying Doom album.

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