SEMPITERNAL DEATHREIGN - THE SPOOKY GLOOM (1989)
Sempiternal Deathreign, from the Netherlands, is perhaps, arguably, the very first death/doom band in the world (RYM lists their demo as the first release in the style, but some earlier releases may have pointed in this direction). The wonderfully named The Spooky Gloom was their debut, and only, LP, and it's great.
What we've got here is essentially Trouble by way of late 80s (!) death metal. Which is to say, there's a lot of energetic ripping, but they also know how to slow things down and smash your face in. Perhaps surprisingly, this band isn't very detuned at all, and at times they remind me a little of thrash metal. But the doomy sections are very very doomy and slow, especially considering that this album came out before Winter's Into Darkness. One track even stretches for 11 minutes, a rarity for the time..
The drumming is great and powerful, and sits very high in the mix. Vocals are hoarse, and sit further back. Definitely not a high rent recording, but it does the job and especially the drumming sounds superb. Heavy as **** for 1989, but they have a sense of melody too and it's used to great effect when they doom.
Sempiternal Deathreign, from very early on, made remarkably fully formed and refined death/doom music with complicated songwriting, menacing melodies, and a willingness to go really ****ing slow when they need to. A great transitional moment from the traditional sounds of Saint Vitus and Candlemass to a new world of extremity and weight. And it kicks ass, it's actually really great too boot.
Sabbath meets Pestilence. Hear it.