Being able to come from a different musical background to cross genre lines to challenge yourself as a musician is something that I will always respect out of those who dare to attempt it, but, as you might expect, success is far from guaranteed with such a venture. When it does result in success, though, it tends to be a true sight to behold in more ways than one. It’s with its debut album that Doubtsower’s mastermind breaks forth from his ambient territory to explore the realm of doom on his own with a tremendous outcome.

When taking into consideration a career made in crafting ambient music and doing a good bit within that scene, doom can easily be seen as a logical spot to target for a transition in the world of metal given that it can be argued that you’re simply moving from one sort of slow heaviness to another, and even if you disregard that it’s hard to look at what Doubtsower has crafted with this debut and say that the previous experience in ambient didn’t do wonders for the final result of “Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul”. While far from the slowest or most atmopsheric creation that I’ve seen come from the world of doom, it’s in these five tracks that Doubtsower’s entrance to the world of doom is an immensely strong one as it’s never once throughout the ebbs and flows of the record does the quality drop once nor does the listen not wish to swim further into the deep, dark ocean which Doubtsower commands at all times in every track. Whether you find solace in the calm moments that are woven into the record beautifully or you’re partial to the undeniable heaviness of the massive doom that’s almost always on display, “Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul” has so much to offer for any doom fan who sets foot into this dark realm. The album quickly unfolds into a bleak expanse of churning sea under grey skies to where it’s by the end of the record that you’ve been swallowed by those foam-wreathed waters, and it’s the whole experience that Doubtsower carefully crafted up to that point which will make you wish to go through it all over again just to feel the crushing embrace of the waves as conducted by what could very be a burgeoning master of its craft.

There aren’t very many debuts like this that can incorporate two different styles in a clever way like what we get here which makes the result of this record all the more standout, and that’s just the beginning of what Doubtsower has started to deliver our way. I can only hope that “Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul” is the beginning of a lot that we’re to get from this band for if this is just the beginning of what they’re capable of then imagine what can be done several albums from now.

“Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul” releases on July 9th!

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