It's no wonder that Sweden, a country to have produced Doom like CANDLEMASS and GRAND MAGUS, could produce something so dark and occult as ANGUISH, who have just released their second full-length, "Mountain"; and yes, it's as imposing and immovable as it sounds; adventurous Doom Metal with undertones of Black Metal, funnily enough, evokes later BEHEMOTH records.

Imagery is clearly a strongpoint on this band. The album sounds mountainous, and the first track, "Makarian Furnace", engulfs you in a slow, viscous burn. Atypical of what may be common (mis?)perceptions of Doom Metal, the dynamics of this track and a few others on the album will leave you starry/black-eyed and floored. The vocals, while harsh and grating, are shouted with almost poetic directive; the riffs, in this track especially, take dips and dives between slow grooves, drudging minimalism and short, but memorable, pockets of methodical, faster-paced pummelling. On a more negative note, this track, along with other moments of brilliance like "Decomposer of Planets" and "Snowhammer", are essentially the strong points of the album that stand out, barely above the rest. In this case, consistency is applied a little too thick, and from track to track, everything is seemingly homogenised in a glue of slow riffs.

That being said, I would draw particular attention to these two tracks. "Decomposer of Planets" starts out with a series of bleak chords that resonate with pure dread, that one can actually feel. Now, dear reader, that in itself is something special; where I am concerned, at least, the fact that the track made contact with my emotions should be considered high praise. Similar to "Makarian Furnace", the riffs experience dynamic nuances; this time, the riffs march us to planetary doom. "Snowhammer" is easily my favourite track on the record, incorporating much more adventurous riffing and subtle inclusion of wistful and sad melodies. Truth be told, I feel like I am listening to BATHORY reborn.

To dub this album as unlistenable and unfollowable because it is "a typical Doom album" is folly. Because tracks like "Snowhammer" make it well-worth the full spin.