Think of the hardest metal genre you have ever had the most difficulty getting yourself to be immersed in. Doom metal for me has been quite a struggle ever since I’ve started listening to metal. Probably my favorite doom metal album was Candlemass’s Epicus Doomicus Metallicus which in my opinion is a fantastic doom metal piece. But my album collection barely scratches the surface of including anything grand or spectacular from any other doom metal act. 2012’s Sorrow and Extinction by Pallbearer was truly a standout, and would have easily been one of my top choices for album of the year.

Like I said before, I am so unfamiliar with doom metal to a great extent and have had little exposure. So in turn I went into this thinking it was yet again going to be a mediocre experience at best, but I have never been proven so wrong. Pallbearer really captures the essence of doom metal in such a spectacular way. In short, this album is absolutely brilliant in my opinion and will quite possibly be my favorite doom metal album of all time. Some may think that I am being too quick to conclude such thoughts, but until I hear something better or have someone recommend an album with more potential, I firmly stand my ground.

Song writing couldn’t be at its best in terms of the genre. The guitars have this “sludge-like” hammer that really gives the album a very heavy sound which I was most pleased with. The album begins with some pretty gorgeous acoustic guitars filled with much melancholy. It’s slow yet so somber and sad, just how doom metal should be. Doom metal is supposed to express feelings of extreme sadness, but I found my feelings conflicted during the album. I felt the album expressed both uplifting moments and sad at the same time. Of course the sad outweighs the happy, due in fact that we of course are talking about a doom metal album.

The album has so much going on for it, and it left me hard to believe that this is only their debut album. The musicians really know their stuff when it comes to playing doom metal. The drumming is perfect in terms of fitting along all the massive chugging riffs and the spectacular wallop that the bass follows. The vocal performance is really one of the biggest things that tied the album together for me. His mournful singing really will overtake you in the best way possible. Sometimes choruses are catchy, especially during the song Devoid of Redemption. I can probably say that this may be my favorite song on the album, but the final track Given to the Grave, which was on their well-received EP back in 2010, truly ends the album in the most exceptional fashion.

This album has definitely made me have so much more respect for the genre of doom metal. I would just like to say that for those who live on the same metal music genre day in and day out that you should always keep a more open mind. Doom metal was never a strong point for me musically, but after exploring it more and pulling myself out of the unknown with the genre, I really discovered something I would have never thought to have enjoyed so much. Metal has so many genres and styles it is almost ridiculous to not explore every last one of them. Each genre has its own special treasure, that upon discovering, you will be completely blown away. Pallbearer’s debut album did just that for me, and I couldn’t be happier with its end result.