The raw heaviness factor is something that the world of death/doom can sometimes be too affiliated with since there is so much more to that style that can be done to gorgeous effect, but when the right band comes around to really go deep with a truly wondrous sense of heaviness that’s dirty and nasty then we can something that’s downright bewildering. Featuring at least one member from well-established doom acts across the scene, it’s with their first effort that θoʊθ already delivers that rarity of quality.

A performance that feels as raw in its heaviness as well as feeling as natural as possible is one that metal will never get enough of in any style, but there’s something about it being done within the realm of death/doom that hits all the right notes in a different sense. The trudging nature of it all paired with an otherworldly crushing presence makes for a sound like none other, and that’s just the tip of what θoʊθ managed to bring forth within “Ruins of Gubla”. What the English version of θoʊθ is, or if it even has one, I do not know for this Phoenecian creation manages to just set itself apart from the crowd in many ways with its origins and presentation with the actual material at hand being very much in the same vein as what we’ve heard before, but the potential for true greatness is at an undeniable high all throughout these four tracks. With a true understanding of exactly what they’re going for and the unapologetically vicious energy that flows through every note, θoʊθ absolutely nails it on their debut EP with it being all but clear that between the ungodly vocals, trawling riffs, and powerful atmospheres of civilizations past that it becomes clear very quickly that “Ruins of Gubla” is a jewel amongst the very roughest of what death/doom has to offer, and I stand proud with the archaeologists of that heaviness that will gladly dive back in whenever they hopefully return.

There’s true ancient magic within the riffs and chants the likes of which may be summoning death, wishing for safe passage over the sea, or quite possibly anything else, and whatever it is I cannot help but sit here and be absolutely gripped by what’s to be found in these ruins. θoʊθ is already armed with the know-how and capacity to deliver the sound they want, and it’s surely only with time that they are only to get exponentially deadlier.

LISTEN to “Ruins of Gubla” on Bandcamp here.