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 intend 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 from England, American bands Pentagram, Saint Vitus, the Obsessed, Trouble, and Cirith Ungol, and Swedish band Candlemass defined doom metal as a distinct genre.
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.
Saint Vitus is an American doom metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1979. 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.
Robert Scott Weinrich, better known as Wino, is an American rock singer, guitarist and songwriter. 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.
Thomas Michael Dean is an American musician who is the bassist for heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity.
Pentagram is an American heavy metal band from Alexandria, Virginia, most famous as one of the pioneers of heavy metal, and the subgenre of doom metal in particular. As such, they are considered one of the "big four of doom metal", alongside Candlemass, Saint Vitus and Trouble. The band was prolific in the underground scene of the 1970s, producing many demos and rehearsal tapes, but did not release a full-length album until reforming in the early 1980s with an almost completely new line-up. Throughout the band's history the only constant member has been vocalist Bobby Liebling. The revolving line-up of Pentagram has featured many well-respected musicians in the local doom metal scene, with members spending time in other acts such as the Obsessed, Place of Skulls, Internal Void, Spirit Caravan, among many others. The band's current line-up consists of Liebling (vocals), Matt Goldsborough (guitar), Greg Turley (bass) and "Minnesota" Pete Campbell (drums).
Incarnate is a compilation album by American doom metal band The Obsessed. It consists of tracks taken from a number of rare and unreleased sources, namely their Sodden Jackal and Altamont Nation 7"s, the Hellhound Records What the Hell! compilation, and some unreleased demos. There are also two cover songs -- "On the Hunt" and "Inside-Looking Out". The track "Streetside" is a video clip.
Phil Sgrosso is an American heavy metal musician, best known rhythm guitarist of the American metalcore band As I Lay Dying, former rhythm guitarist of the band Wovenwar and touring lead guitarist for Saosin and Nails.
Hellhound Records was a German record label during the late 1980s and 1990s, self-described as "the heaviest label on earth". They became known for putting out doom metal, with artists such as Saint Vitus and The Obsessed. In the early 1990s Hellhound signed a number of Maryland doom bands such as Internal Void, Iron Man, Revelation, Wretched and Unorthodox. They quickly became a prominent label in the doom metal genre. Some of the Hellhound releases were distributed in the US by Noise Records and Noise began pressing some of the later releases after Hellhound's demise. Noise released a compilation entitled Pure Noise which featured a number of Hellhound bands along with many Noise bands as well. Only a few Hellhound releases were re-released by current labels, such as Southern Lord Records and Japan's Leaf Hound Records.
Church of Misery is a Japanese doom metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1995. Church of Misery's musical style melds early Black Sabbath-style doom with psychedelic rock; most of the band's songs are about serial killers and mass murderers.
Internal Void is an American doom metal band from Frederick, Maryland.
Wretched was an American doom metal band from Maryland, formed in the 1990s.
Iron Man was an American heavy metal band from Maryland.
Revelation is an American doom metal band from Maryland.
Immortal Souls is a melodic death metal band from Kokkola, Finland, formed in 1991. They released a split album and their debut on Little Rose Productions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2002, Immortal Souls signed with Dutch label Fear Dark which released their second and third album as well as a compilation. They have performed at Tuska Open Air Metal Festival. Their musical style is characterized by their use of melodic guitar riffs and singing which shifts between growls and shouting. Their music has been called winter metal since Immortal Souls utilizes frosty metaphors in their lyrics and usually creates a cold, wintry atmosphere. The album Wintereich was released in 2007 in Europe on Dark Balance and in the USA through Facedown Records.
Gallhammer were a Japanese extreme metal group that drew on blackened crust, black metal, doom metal and crust punk. They formed in Tokyo in 2003 and released three studio albums.
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.
Tolotta Records was a record label run by Joe Lally of Fugazi. It was based in Arlington, Virginia and distributed through Dischord Records. The label has released bands from Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area, such as Dead Meadow and Spirit Caravan. The label was founded in 1994 and came to an end in 2002 when Spirit Caravan broke up and Dead Meadow moved to Matador Records. Shortly after Lally set-up the label, the German label Hellhound Records disbanded, leaving Tolotta to pick up some of the slack. Tolotta re-released The Obsessed's first album and picked up Scott Weinrich's new band, Shine, who later changed their name to Spirit Caravan.
Hammers of Misfortune is an American heavy metal band from San Francisco, California. The band's style has varied from album to album, at times incorporating different elements of folk metal, doom metal, NWOBHM, black metal, 1970s rock, and thrash metal. It is the brainchild of guitarist John Cobbett, who serves as the band's producer and primary songwriter.
