atozdoom

A–Z of Doom Metal

This is the A-Z of Doom Metal, One topic per letter.

A: ATMOSPHERIC DOOM

A broad branch of doom that leans into ambience, texture, and mood. Bands like Katatonia (early era), Shape of Despair, and Ahab use space and atmosphere to create emotional weight rather than sheer heaviness.

B: BLACK SABBATH

The origin point. Without Black Sabbath there's no doom metal. The slow riffs, the dread, and lyrical darkness became the blueprint for everything that followed.

C: CANDLEMASS

Sweden’s kings of epic doom metal. Their 1986 debut Epicus Doomicus Metallicus is one of the most important doom albums ever recorded, introducing operatic vocals and grand, cathedral‑sized riffs.

D: DEATH-DOOM

A hybrid of doom’s slow weight and death metal’s growls and aggression. Pioneered by Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema in the early ’90s.

E: ELECTRIC WIZARD

The UK’s heaviest export. Dopethrone (2000) is a cornerstone of stoner doom, drenched in fuzz, occult imagery, and monolithic riffs.

F: FUNERAL DOOM

The slowest, bleakest, most suffocating form of doom. Bands like Skepticism, Thergothon, and Evoken stretch songs into long, crushing meditations on despair.

G: GOTHIC DOOM

A melodic, romantic, and melancholic branch of doom pioneered by the “Peaceville Three.” My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost blended doom with gothic rock, violins, and deep emotional themes.

H: HELLHAMMER

Proto‑extreme metal that influenced doom’s darker, more primitive side. Their raw, cavernous sound fed directly into early death‑doom and blackened doom.

I: IRON MAN

Named after the Sabbath classic, this Maryland band became a pillar of the Maryland doom scene. A region known for traditional, riff‑driven doom.

J: JOHN PEREZ (Solitude Aeturnus)

Guitarist and songwriter behind one of America’s greatest epic doom bands. Solitude Aeturnus carried the torch of Candlemass with soaring vocals and massive riffs.

K: KATATONIA

Before becoming a dark rock band, Katatonia helped define death-doom with "Dance of December Souls". Atmospheric, sorrowful, and hugely influential.

L: LEIF EDLING

The "Doomfather." Founding member and primary songwriter of Candlemass. His riffs and songwriting shaped epic doom more than anyone else. He has also been in 'Krux', 'Abstrakt Algebra', 'Nemesis' and 'Avatarium'.

M: MY DYING BRIDE

Masters of sorrow. Their blend of violins, growls, clean vocals, and poetic lyrics created one of doom’s most emotional and dramatic styles.

N: NIGHTFALL

Candlemass classic 1987 album, their first with the legendary Messiah Marcolin.

O: OBSESSED, THE

Led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich, The Obsessed helped define traditional American doom, bluesy, heavy, and rooted in Sabbath’s earliest DNA.

P: PENTAGRAM

One of doom’s earliest pioneers. Their 1970s material (released later as First Daze Here) is essential proto‑doom, full of dark riffs and occult themes. Pentagram, Day of Reckoning and Relentless remains as classics within the genre.

Q: FOREVER MY QUEEN

OK, I couldn't find anything doom related on the letter Q. Maybe I'm forgetting something now. But there's a classic Pentagram song from the early 70's that is almost a decade ahead of it's time it felt like. Classic Pentagram!

R: REVEREND BIZARRE

Finnish doom purists who embraced the slowest, heaviest aspects of traditional doom. Their albums helped revive the dead doom metal genre in the early 2000's.

S: SAINT VITUS

American doom metal royalty. Their raw, punk‑infused take on Sabbath worship became a cornerstone of the U.S. doom scene.

T: TROUBLE

Chicago’s doom pioneers. Their early albums mixed Christian themes with crushing riffs, helping define traditional doom metal in the U.S. They were also a huge inspiration for Candlemass.

U: UFOMAMMUT

Italian psychedelic doom band known for long, hypnotic compositions that blend sludge, space rock, and stoned out-stoner moments.

V: VENI DOMINE

Swedish masters of progressive epic doom, Veni Domine carved out a sound unlike anything else in the genre. Mixing Candlemass‑style grandeur with atmospheric keyboards, soaring operatic vocals and some progressive power metal flair.

W: WINO

Scott "Wino" Weinrich. The face of American doom. His work in The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan, and The Hidden Hand shaped the genre’s identity.

X: XYSMA

Finnish band whose early work blended grindcore with doom, later evolving into a unique mix of death‑doom and rock.

Y: YOB

Y belongs to YOB. One of modern doom’s most important bands. Their sound is spiritual, crushing, and transcendent, with albums like "The Illusion of Motion" and "Clearing the Path to Ascend" earning high praise.

Z: ZARAZA

A lesser‑known but influential industrial‑doom act blending slow, oppressive riffs with harsh electronic textures. Showing how wide doom’s boundaries can stretch.

By/Ruthless