Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres. Both the music and the lyrics are intended to evoke a sense of despair, dread, and impending doom. The genre is strongly influenced by the early work of Black Sabbath, who formed a prototype for doom metal. During the first half of the 1980s, a number of bands such as Witchfinder General and Pagan Altar from England, American bands Pentagram, Saint Vitus, the Obsessed, Trouble, and Cirith Ungol, and Swedish band Candlemass defined doom metal as a distinct genre. Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble and Candlemass have been referred to as "the Big Four of Doom Metal".
The Obsessed is an American heavy metal band from Potomac, Maryland, led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich. The band combines elements of doom metal, stoner rock, and punk rock. Formed in 1980, they recorded a few demos and played a handful of live shows until they first split up in 1986 when Weinrich joined as lead vocalist for Saint Vitus, but reformed four years later. After releasing three albums, the Obsessed broke up for a second time in 1995. After briefly reuniting for some shows in 2012 and 2013, the Obsessed announced their third reunion in March 2016.
Spirit Caravan was an American doom metal / stoner rock band featuring guitarist and vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich.
Rise Above Records is a London-based independent record label owned by Lee Dorrian.
Southern Lord is an American heavy metal record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson. It initially specialized in experimental metal: particularly doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal. The label later expanded its line-up to include artists from black metal, hardcore punk and crust punk bands.
Saint Vitus is an American doom metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. They are considered to be one of the first doom metal bands, and have been labeled as one of the "big four" of that genre, along with Candlemass, Pentagram and Trouble. Having released nine studio albums to date, Saint Vitus never achieved a popular breakthrough, but have exerted great influence on the development of doom metal, sludge metal, and stoner rock.
Relapse Records is an American independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990. The label features many grindcore, death metal, metalcore and sludge metal artists.
Sixty Watt Shaman is an American rock band known for incorporating hard rock with blues, southern rock, doom, punk rock and heavy metal influences, originally based out of Towson, Maryland, Montgomery Village, Maryland, and currently Winchester, Virginia.
Robert Scott Weinrich, better known as Wino, is an American singer and guitarist. He has been highly influential in helping develop and codify doom metal's trademark sound, and is also considered an influential figure in the stoner rock and punk rock genres.
Noise Records is a German heavy metal record label founded in 1983 by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any activity in 2007 due to the bankruptcy of Sanctuary. The Noise catalogue was consequently acquired by Universal Music Group later on. In April 2016, BMG Rights Management, which had acquired Sanctuary Records in 2013, announced that it would revive the Noise Records label.
Internal Void is an American doom metal band from Frederick, Maryland.
Iron Man was an American heavy metal band from Maryland.
Revelation is an American doom metal band from Maryland.
Unorthodox is an American doom metal band from Maryland.
Orodruin is an American doom metal band from Rochester, New York, who play traditional doom as part of the style's early-2000s revival, playing alongside bands like Reverend Bizarre, While Heaven Wept, and Penance. Their sophomore release Ruins of Eternity came out on Cruz Del Sur Records on October 25, 2019.
C.O.D. is the sixth studio album by the American doom metal band Saint Vitus. The album was released in 1992 on Hellhound Records. This is the only album to feature former Count Raven vocalist Christian Linderson. The band had a break after this album, but reformed with original singer Scott Reagers for their next album, Die Healing (1995).
Die Healing is the seventh studio album by the American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released in 1995 by Hellhound Records. In addition to being their final album before disbanding in 1996, Die Healing saw the band reunite with the original lineup of vocalist Scott Reagers, guitarist Dave Chandler, bassist Mark Adams and drummer Armando Acosta. It would, however, be the last Saint Vitus album to feature Acosta before his death in 2010, and Reagers for 20 years until his return to the band in 2015.
The Obsessed is the debut album by American metal band the Obsessed, released in 1990 by Hellhound Records. All songs were recorded in 1985 for an intended album for Metal Blade Records, which had never been released. The release of this album prompted singer Scott "Wino" Weinrich to leave Saint Vitus and reform the Obsessed with a new rhythm section.
Leaf Hound Records is a Japanese record label specializing in 1960s and 1970s inspired stoner/doom metal. The label takes its name from the 1970s hard rock band Leaf Hound. Leaf Hound Records has released material from Japanese bands such as Church of Misery and Sonic Flower, US bands such as Blood Farmers and Acid King and European bands such as Orange Sunshine and Acrimony. They have re-released a number of albums that were originally released by Germany's Hellhound Records. These reissues include Revelation's Never Comes Silence, Iron Man's Black Night and The Passage, and the Blood Farmers self-titled album. They have also reissued two other Revelation albums, Salvation's Answer and an unreleased album, and have also announced plans to issue Revelation's fourth album, Release.
Count Raven are a Swedish doom metal band established in 1989. From 1990 to 1996, the band released four studio albums, then broke up in 1998. In 2003, they reunited and in 2009 released their fifth album, Mammons War.
