Doom metal is a genre which wears many faces, changing, evolving and spreading out into many branches and sub-genres within sub-genres. From the early days of Black Sabbath, to more contemporary iterations such as Sleep, Electric Wizard, to the funeral doom subgenre, represented by the likes of Thergothon, Esoteric, Loss, and others, doom is a genre as diverse as any other, and frequently overlaps with others. Ultimately, doom is dark, slow, and heavy: “The Wretch” by The Gates of Slumber meets these criteria with ease.
“The Wretch” may be perhaps not as brutal as other doom bands, but that doesn’t make it any less heavy. This album manages to offer a brooding, melancholy atmosphere of gossamer-shrouded crypts, medieval torture chambers, and looming abandoned castles fallen to ruin, without burying any of its musicianship in feedback or gargled death vocals. This is traditional doom plain and simple. No frills, no bullshit. “The Wretch” feels like wading through an underground bog in total darkness, sinking deeper into the mire with every step.
Towers of Rust 