DREAD OGRE is a Swedish doom metal band, who are releasing their debut album “Get Ready For The Storm.” This album has so many great parts that got stuck in my head. First, the vocals are exciting—expressive, towering, and energetic. Jacob really put his heart into his singing and it sounds like he was having a blast too. It’s a classic approach with a little bit of old school falsetto to it. But a powerful band requires an equally powerful vocalist! His guitar playing is just as potent. His style, and the band as a whole, is a classic approach that mixes good ol ' heavy metal with doom. He offers riffs for days! This is is heavier than a really heavy thing but it isn’t extreme so this would be a good place for people new to doom, or metal in general, to start.

Michael and Ludwig, bass and drums respectively, offer massive support. Each of them make the songs sound deep and bottomless. Ludwig also plays in GRAND MAGUS so his experience there really shines through as the powerhouse he truly is. Of course the high production values don't hurt either. This has an album that needs to be played loud and the vibrant production displays thus. But there is more than enough grit to it; the music has plenty of heft to it. The album opens with the mission statement “Heads Are Gonna Roll” or, at the very least, bang. The riffs are tight, a mid paced tempo that dances around an equally impressive rhythm dynamic. Jacob sings his face off, a pervasive falsetto and soaring tenor that just rips. “Promises of Gold,” enters murky, doomed waters. The riffs are heavy with a slow crushing groove that weaves in and out among the expressive vocals. The bass hangs low on this one, working in tandem with the drums to create a massive bottom end that holds the song up.

“Justice. Honor. Courage,” displays both a more traditional and melodic take on the genre. The riffs are galloping and groovy in the right places but laced with just the right balance of melody. The chorus is simple but catchy, getting the job done. The album ends strongly with “I Sentence You,” a theatrical romper stopper with a very biting guitar tone and sinister vocals. The song has a menacing quality especially in the slower moments and chorus. A doom KING DIAMOND? More please. DREAD OGRE's “Get Ready For The Storm” is a solid album that balances doom and traditional metal in a modern package that honors the old school in the best ways.