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".
Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including progressive metal and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the epic poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.
Shape of Despair is a funeral doom metal band from Finland.
Esoteric is an English funeral doom metal band from Birmingham, founded in 1992. Releasing seven studio albums, and a demo, the band is widely regarded as among the first groups to develop the funeral doom style. The band has named a variety of groups as influences, such as metal bands Morbid Angel and My Dying Bride, more "trippy" artists such as Pink Floyd, Spacemen 3, and King Crimson, and the industrial and dark ambient genres.
Funeral are a Norwegian funeral doom band formed in 1991 by Thomas Angell and Anders Eek; soon afterward, Einar Frederiksen joined as bassist and songwriter and Christian Loos joined as guitarist. They are known as one of the pioneers of the funeral doom genre.
Rapture is a doom metal/melodic death metal band formed in 1997 in Helsinki, Finland.
Depressed Mode is a death/doom/funeral doom metal band from Finland.
Jarno Salomaa, also credited as J.S,, is a Finnish musician. He formed the funeral doom metal group Shape of Despair in 1995 under the name Raven. Salomaa's first role was guitars and synth in Raven's Alone in the Mist, the first demo they made, although this demo was not released to the public. Salomaa then proceeded to appear in the first CD produced under the name Shape of Despair called Promo Tape 1998. While not a very grand name, the album contains the well-received songs of Quiet These Paintings Are and its outro entitled Outro.
Pasi Antero Koskinen is a Finnish heavy metal musician, currently the vocalist and guitarist of the band Datura Nemesis (2013–), but he is perhaps best known as the vocalist of the band Amorphis (1995–2004).
Angels of Distress is the second studio album by funeral doom metal band Shape of Despair. It was mastered in Finnvox by Mika Jussila. The album is packaged in a digipak and includes no booklet, though the lyrics can be viewed on the band's official website.
Illusion's Play is funeral doom metal band Shape of Despair's third studio album.
Shape of Despair is funeral doom metal band Shape of Despair's self-titled album. It was released on the 10th anniversary of the band's formation, but not in honor of the occasion. The album features previously unreleased songs and demos of older songs, while some of them are under the former moniker "Raven", as well as the new song "Sleeping Murder" that had a "guess the lyrics" competition.
Am Universum is the fifth studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis. This album was a departure from the doom/stoner metal influence on their previous album, Tuonela, featuring more of a vocal-driven hard rock sound. This is the first album to feature Niklas Etelävuori on bass who would remain in the band until 2017 and the last album with drummer Pekka Kasari who left in 2002.
How Like a Winter is a gothic doom metal band from Italy that was formed in the mid-1990s, although their first recording was not until much later. The band's music, which can be described as atmospheric and melancholy, is composed using violins, various classical, acoustic and electric guitars, and features male and female vocalists; the band members all use evocative pseudonyms. Male vocals are both clean and growled, whereas the female duo of Tragedy and Misery are invariably clean. Delicate violins mingle with heavy guitar riffs and are complemented by acoustic guitar solos. The band's music has been likened to that of Paradise Lost, Celestial Season, Novembers Doom, Shape of Despair, and My Dying Bride. Guitarist Mist lists My Dying Bride as a great inspiration, along with Opeth and Katatonia among others.
Death is the fourth officially released album/EP by Finnish black metal band Thy Serpent. It is the last heard of Thy Serpent since its release in 2000. It is also the first of their work to feature their current lineup, with Tomi Ullgren on lead, and the new drummer. It was recorded at a different studio than the three previous CDs.
Mannhai is a Finnish stoner rock band from Helsinki. The band was formed in late 1999 by bass player Olli-Pekka "Oppu" Laine and guitarist Ilkka "Ile" Laaksomaa. Soon they were accompanied by a young drummer, Mikko "Junior" Pietinen, and the following year by lead singer Jani "Joãnitor" Muurinen.
Skeletons in the Closet is the second compilation album by Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom, released on 22 September 2009 through Spinefarm Records. It consists of various covers of songs, most of which have been released on other releases such as B-sides on Children of Bodom's singles. The album only contains four unreleased covers for the songs "Hell Is for Children", "Antisocial", "War Inside My Head", and "Waiting", but the previously released songs are remixed and new details can be heard. The Japanese edition is pressed in SHM-CD format.
Road to the Octagon is the eleventh full-length studio album from Finnish black metal band Impaled Nazarene. It was released, as are all of their albums thus far, on Osmose Productions in 2010. It also marked the first time that they were without a co-producer.
Kiana is a Finnish melodic death metal band from Hyvinkää, Finland.
Angellore is a French doom metal/gothic metal band. The name of the band comes from the title of the Tristania song "Angellore".
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