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".
Nightfall in Middle-Earth is the sixth studio album by the German power metal band Blind Guardian. It was released on 28 April 1998 through Virgin Records. It is a concept album based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, a book of tales from the First Age of Middle-earth, recounting the troubled history of Beleriand as the Elves battle with the Dark Lord Morgoth. The album contains not only songs but also spoken parts narrating parts of the story. The cover depicts a scene from The Silmarillion, the elf Lúthien dancing in front of the Dark Lord Morgoth.
Paradise Lost are an English gothic metal band. Formed in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in 1988, they are considered to be among the pioneers of the death-doom genre, and regarded as the main influence for the later gothic metal movement. As of 2005, Paradise Lost have sold over two million albums worldwide.
Sanctified is the fourth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Morgana Lefay, released in 1995.
Grand Materia is the eighth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Morgana Lefay, released in 2005.
Maleficium is the fifth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Morgana Lefay.
S.O.S is the seventh album by Swedish heavy metal band Morgana Lefay. It was released on 21 March 2000.
Knowing Just As I is the second album for Swedish heavy metal band Morgana Lefay.
Bloodbound is a Swedish power metal band formed in 2004 in Bollnäs.
Razamanaz is the third studio album by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, released in May 1973. It was the band's first LP record to break the charts and was produced by Roger Glover of Deep Purple, who the band was on tour with at the time. "Woke Up This Morning" was re-recorded for this album.
Stream from the Heavens is the only studio album by Finnish doom metal band Thergothon. It was recorded in late 1992 and released after many delays on June 15, 1994 through the Italian record label Avantgarde Music. The band had eventually disbanded a year before the release of the album. Stream from the Heavens continues the funeral doom subgenre that Thergothon pioneered with their 1991 demo Fhtagn nagh Yog-Sothoth. The album was re-issued on CD in 1999 and also in 2004 by Belgian label Painiac as a 12" LP, limited to 500 copies.
One Second is the sixth studio album released by British metal band Paradise Lost. The album marks the group's transition from a gothic metal act to a more electronic direction. It is the bestselling record of their career and enabled the band to sign with the German branch of major label EMI. One Second is Paradise Lost's first album recorded in digital format.
Cirith Ungol is an American heavy metal band formed in late 1971 in Ventura, California. This early doom and power metal group is known for lyrics based on fantasy. The band took their name from the mountain pass Cirith Ungol in J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings.
This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal music in the year 1993.
Aberrations of the Mind is the ninth and final album by Swedish heavy metal band Morgana Lefay, released 19 March 2007. It was their first album with Pelle Åkerlind on drums.
Miklagard – The History of the Vikings Volume 2 is an album by German power metal band Rebellion, and the second part in their Viking trilogy. It is the first album with female guitarist Simone Wenzel. The vocals on "Vi seglar mot Miklagard" are contributed by Charles Rytkönen.
Call To Arms is the nineteenth studio album by British heavy metal band Saxon. Call to Arms was released 3 June in Europe; 6 June in Denmark, Finland, and the UK; 8 June in Greece and Poland; 10 June in France. Previously, it was due to be released on 23 May 2011. The album was released on 27 September in North America by EMI. Current Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey made a guest appearance on the album.
The Lord of Steel is the eleventh studio album of the American heavy metal band Manowar. It was first released as a download on June 16, 2012 and the limited-edition pre-release special edition CD of the British heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer on June 26, 2012. The retail edition of the album was available as CD, limited-edition vinyl and digital album. It featured cover art by Ken Kelly who has worked on many previous Manowar covers. It marks a change in the band's sound, moving away from the symphonic sound of Gods of War and going back to the style of Louder than Hell with the production quality of Thunder in the Sky.
The Plague Within is the fourteenth studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released on 1 June 2015 in Europe and 2 June 2015 in North America through Century Media Records. This album shows the band returning to their death-doom roots, mixed with elements of the gothic metal sound they are most known for.
Stormhammer, stylized StormHammer, is a power metal group from Munich, Germany. Active since 1993, they notably released two albums on Century Media Records, one on Mausoleum Records and three on Massacre Records.
