The death/doom metal genre, a subgenre of doom metal, is filled with awesome underground bands. These are 10 of them, including my band Soliloquium. Classic death/doom metal bands include early Katatonia, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, October Tide and Swallow the Sun.
Three bands you should know before reading this list are Kaunis Kuolematon, Ocean of Grief and Hanging Garden. I believe these grew a bit too big for an underrated death/doom list, but all three are fantastic bands that all doom metal fans should know.
Originally published as “10 underrated death/doom metal bands” in July 2019.
About the author
I’m Stefan Nordström, an aspiring musician and content creator. This is one of the ways I promote Soliloquium, my progressive death/doom metal band. If you’re searching for new music in the style, it would be awesome if you listened to my stuff on:
Bandcamp ->
Facebook ->
Spotify ->
YouTube ->
I work hard on creating content that’s mostly for free, so if you appreciate it, buying my music or merch is the best to show support.
Ars Onirica
Somewhere along the blurring genre lines of death/doom, progressive metal, gothic metal and melodeath dwells Italy’s Ars Onirica. Full-length debut “I: Cold” (2019) is a solid piece of dark music that I don’t see enough people talking about, so let’s put it in here to change that!
Asphodelus
The debut “Stygian Dreams” really caught me off-guard. A really cool throwback to the old days of Katatonia and Anathema that still feels fresh. Surprised this band didn’t take off right away, because the record is truly a good one.
Counting Hours
Many of us mourn the disappearance of the Finnish band Rapture, but at least Counting Hours featuring many of the same musicians has showed up. And it’s some awesome Katatonia-influenced death/doom metal that’s bound to please Rapture fans. Full-length debut “The Will” is one of my favorite 2020 albums, highly recommended!
Dalit
I haven’t heard of this band at all, previous to making my doom metal from 2021 list. Considering how much time I spend looking for music in this style, I was very surprised to see that Dalit has been around since 2006 and actually has three full-length albums. Some truly underrated death/doom metal that deserves more fans!
Ethereal Darkness
Maybe more of a melodic death metal band than a death/doom metal band, but it feels like the lines are getting blurred these days anyway. 2019 debut “Smoke and Shadows” got its fair share of attention, and it’s well-deserved. It’s a very well-rounded, professional piece of extreme metal that doesn’t sound like a debut album at all.
“Smoke and Shadows” review ->
Ethereal Darkness on Facebook ->
Exgenesis
Jari Lindholm (ex-Slumber, Enshine, Seas of Years) collaborates with Colombian vocalist Alejandro Lotero. Drummer Christian Netzell also joined in on the party recently. Expect melodic death/doom metal of the highest quality!
Hadriel
Do you enjoy the progressive side of death/doom metal? Maybe some long songs with both funeral doom and Opeth influence? Well, then Hadriel should be right up your alley. This brainchild of Swedish musician (often drummer) Victor Parri released its sole full-length “Liberosis” in 2016.
Lying Figures
French band that released solid debut album “The Abstract Escape” in 2017. Classy and varied death/doom metal with a gothic edge. “Tormented Souls” and “Monologue of a Sick Brain” are absolute bangers especially, and I can’t wait to hear more material from Lying Figures.
“The Abstract Escape” review ->
Lying Figures on Facebook ->
Marianas Rest
Finnish doom metal band that released their second album “Ruins” in 2019. Expect classic Finnish death/doom melancholy mixed with melodic death metal. Since I wrote this list the first time in 2019 the band has gained some serious and well-deserved traction.
Mistveil
Greek project that recently released the debut album “Amnesia”. It’s a quality piece of Scandinavian style melodic death/doom that should please most fans of the style. Yours truly is also featured on guest vocals in the song “Defeated, but Victorious”.
Rise to the Sky
Chile is far away from the death/doom hotbeds (or should I say coldbeds?) of Sweden, Finland and the U.S. But Rise to the Sky has delivered quality gothic-flavored death/doom metal albums in both 2019 and 2020. Yet, I haven’t seen much buzz online. Truly the definition of “underrated death/doom metal”, because the music is great!
Sleepwalkers
Underrated U.S. doomsters with a classic death/doom metal sound. Mike Watts that played drums, mixed and mastered Soliloquium’s “Contemplations” album joins up with vocalist Caleb Bergen and bass player Daniel Luces and drummer Hunter Ecker to complete the band’s line-up. Don’t miss out on Mike’s other project Terminus, which is also quality dark metal music.
Soliloquium
My progressive death/doom metal band Soliloquium. Expect a progressive and melodic take on death/doom metal band with flavours of other styles like shoegaze and post-rock. Soliloquium has released three full-length albums so far: 2016’s “An Empty Frame”, 2018’s “Contemplations” and 2020’s “Things We Leave Behind”. For other (hopefully) underrated death/doom metal projects where I was featured on vocals, check out The Ashen Tree and Ashes of Life.
Somnent
Somnent’s debut “Sojourn” is a solid and varied slab of melodic death/doom metal goodness. It’s also grown on me since I first heard it. Can’t wait for more material from this talented band. “Deceit”, a song I promote on my YouTube channel, is a good place to start.
Within the Fall
Karlstad’s Within the Fall is somewhere between death/doom, melodic death metal and progressive metal. The style is varied enough to draw in doom fans, melodeath fans and prog metal fans alike. “Night of Ebon” (below) is from the bands newer, more intense material. If you’re looking for classic-styled death/doom, look no further than WtF’s older releases.
Within the Fall on Facebook ->
Read more:
10 essential death/doom metal albums ->
Quality death/doom metal bands ->
Full doom metal genre guide ->
50 best melodic death metal bands ->
50 best Finnish metal bands ->
1 Comment
Adelina · August 11, 2019 at 7:42 pm
Wow, great bands! It’s always an amazing feeling to discover new music, this is what I live for. You have a fine taste, thank you! |_|
By the way, it was such a huge coincidence noticing that you’re using our WordPress theme, Hestia, on your site. I was randomly browsing your blog when it hit me and I couldn’t believe it. I work at ThemeIsle, the company that built the theme.
Cheers and best of luck with your project! 🙂