Stoner Doom and its cousin Sludge have been staples in the metal world for decades now, and the mournful smoke-filled chambers of the doom metal crypt are carved with a list of legendary bands like Crowbar, Dopesmoker, and Eyehategod, now a new group emerges from the smoke and hopes to etch their name among the greats. Mammoth Caravan from Little Rock, Arkansas, has released their debut album, "Frostbitten Galaxy." "Frostbitten Galaxy" has all the familiar fuzz and despair that fans of the genre will enjoy but does fall short in songwriting. Listening to "Frostbitten Galaxy," I discovered many of the songs followed a very similar structure of opening with an echoing clean riff before diving head first into the heavy part of the song, making me wonder at times if I was listening to the same song for a second time. Throughout the album, I kept wishing for some changes to grab my attention and hold onto it. "Siege in The Stars" and "Sky Burial" were the songs that granted my wish for something different.

"Seige in The Stars" begins the same way, but the main rhythm riff takes the song in another direction, offering more structure and changes that kept me engaged the whole time. The main rhythm of "Seige in The Stars" brings out a faster pace that's reminiscent of some doom-thrash bands I've played alongside. Robert's guitar work stands out heavily on this track, and I had to replay the song a few times to hear his solo again. "Siege in The Stars" is a shining star on "Frostbitten Galaxy." "Sky Burial" is Mammoth Caravan's take on a ballad, and it really does the job well. What I really love about "Sky Burial" is how haunting the song is; from the chorus on the guitar to the content of the lyrics, everything fits together like an intricate puzzle. Brandon's voice on "Sky Burial" is incredibly chilling; you can feel the emotion in every line he delivers. "Sky Burial" reminds me of a mix of In Mourning's Celestial Tear and Wood's of Ypres' I was Buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. "Sky Burial" may be one of my favourite ballads.

Overall, "Frostbitten Galaxy" is a decent album and a solid effort by Mammoth Caravan. For their future releases, I really hope they play around with song structures during the writing phase to give each song its own breath of life while maintaining the Mammoth Caravan sound.