this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2023
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Doom Metal
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Slow and heavy Iommic riffage
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Not trying to gatekeep and I'm far from an expert in metal sub-sub-genres, but isn't Pallbearer usually considered "funeral doom?"
In my experience, trad doom usually has cheesier, more operatic vocals and isn't quite as slow, but I'd welcome an education as I haven't delved into Pallbearer or funeral doom beyond Sorrow and Extinction (which I did enjoy).
Funeral doom is a very very slow offshoot of death/doom, death/doom mixed with drone. Starting with bands like Thergothon, Skepticism, and Funeral, with modern bands like Bell Witch and Un carrying the torch.
Traditional doom is a call back to the roots of doom, think Black Sabbath/Pentagram/Saint Vitus. Typified by bands like Reverend Bizarre, some consider it a more "pure" form of doom because it generally seeks to remove influences that came into doom after those original bands. This is where I would class this era of Pallbearer.
While Trad can get cheesy, like Lamp of Thoth, I think you are more closely describing what is known as Epic Doom Metal. Pioneered by bands like Candlemass, and taking its name from their album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. Operatic vocals and a lot less slow.
I only find this useful to help find more music similar to what I like. For instance, if you asked me to show you more funeral doom I wouldn't show you anything like Pallbearer, so this is where I think the real value of sub genres is.
Well said. This is absolutely true and I hadn't really realized why I was having so much trouble finding Trad that I liked, since on one of my first research dives, someone classified Candlemass as "Trad."
I'm a relative newcomer to doom despite being a fan of heavier music for decades since I first encountered metal via metalcore and thrash, so I appreciate the clarification.
I typically like the heavier/slower bands, but haven't really gotten into drone much. I've heard good things about Bellwitch, so I might have to spend some time with them next.
Where would you classify Conan? They seem a little droney, but definitely not what I would instinctively call "funeral" or "drone"
There's definitely different opinions out there on what to call different bands. I can see where someone would want to call Candlemass trad because of how foundational they were, but you'll find more similarities with other epic bands.
I'm sure me calling funeral a mix between death/doom and drone might be controversial to some, but especially with modern bands I think it is true.
Conan are weird. I'd say predominantly there is an aspect of Sludge to their sound, which if you came from metalcore and thrash I'd highly recommend looking into sludge bands. Sludge is doom + hardcore. Classics are bands like Crowbar, Eyehategod, Iron Monkey, Acid Bath.
If you want more Conan like bands I've always thought Slomatics had a similar vibe, that caveman type sound.
Love me some sludge. Eyehategod and Acid Bath in particular are amazing, so I'll look into Iron Monkey.
And I can see the sludge in Conan, especially the faster passages like the end of "Krull" and "Battle in the Swamp."
I get why people don't really like classifying bands as one specific subgenre, because for whatever reason metalheads get really angry if they disagree with you. Mainly, I like talking about music, so while I get only using subgenres as a way to find similar bands, I also just enjoy the conversation and I don't have doomer friends IRL. The few metalheads I do see on a regular basis are thrashers and BHM fans that don't listen to anything released after 1990...
So just to put a button in the funeral conversation, would you describe AHAB as funeral? I don't know how much drone they have, but they've definitely got "slower death/doom" in spades.
Edit: nvm, I saw you posted AHAB as funeral the other day.
Conan have some cool influences and ideas. There's those sludgy bits, but also stoner doom bits, and straight up heavy metal bits.
Yeah I love having conversations about music too, hoping this sub becomes a good place to do it!
There's a couple of funeral bands that lean more into the death metal influence for certain songs and can get faster. Ahab and Esoteric come to mind.