ANGUISH is a Swedish doom metal band formed in 2007. " Doomkvädet" is their fourth album; they have also released a demo and two splits. "Doomkvädet," is an album that lives in several different worlds. Musically, the band plays traditional doom that mixes in a large dose of melody that often times sounds Gothic. Vocally, J. Dee uses blackened death screams and growls plaster the songs effectively. That isn't all he can do though. He also incorporates a rough sort of clean but no matter what approach he takes, he is loud and commanding. I love this aspect because it gives the band an extreme edge that offsets the melody. As such, the band finds the sweet spot between heavy and melodic.

"Herein I Burn," is made of thick yet melodic riffs that echo doom's past but sounds decidedly modern. The riffs stack and build off each other well, lending the song a smooth flow.  This can be said of the album as a whole—it is very well put together. The slow, groovy cadence goes hand in hand with the vocals. The flourishes of twin guitar melodies are a nice touch and they shift into a heavier crunch with apparent ease. "Consumed By The Necrodoom," has a more ominous atmosphere. The drums highlight the riffs as the song slithers along.  The melodic guitars wrap around the vocals, showcasing synergy between the music and lyrics.

The song increases the tempo with a slow gallop before the song's halfway point sees the bass and guitars alternating harmonies with actual riffs. In the later half, the band throws in a surprise by picking up the speed to become a juggernaut. Clean instrumentation serves as a fitting intro for "Deranged and Forgotten."  The main riff provides the basis for the entire song and the band let's it form naturally from it. Bursts of up tempo passages and melodic leads spew forth from the foundation.  Near the end, the bass throws it all down for a dark ride laced with a clever solo.

Björn Andersson steals the show on "I Ett Dunkel Förkorad," with an energetic performance that accents every element in the song while also being the driving force. The middle portion of the song is one of the more intense moments on the album and made for headbanging. If this song is played live I can see the crowd going crazy on this one. The later half of the song is more Gothic doom in texture with the way the melodic parts form put of the heavier notes.

"Blood Veil" has an immediate impact, proving itself to be one of the most direct songs on the album. Linus gives a grand performance, stringing together notes to tell the story and direct the song's direction. The groove is infectious and even dizzying in places, especially when the tempo suddenly increases. "Our Funeral" is the album's epic. As the title would suggest, this one is more somber and morose than the previous songs. The atmosphere, dismal as it may be, is incredible and makes the song perhaps the best on the album. The first half is a storm of doom that hangs in the air and passes through, just covering the landscape. Later, deep clean vocals and crunchy riffs change it up further and it leads into a darkly beautify clean passage.

"Doomkvädet," is a great doom metal album that melds the old with the new and the light with the heavy. A must listen for anyone new to the genre or who maybe have issues with the more extreme elements of the genre.