Rickter scale of doom.

MINSK Out of a Center Which is Neither Dead Nor Alive (At a Loss)--Sanford Parker of Buried at Sea fame (not to be confused with Graves) contrives and drives Minsk. We're talking a truly hopeless state of being will be the result of depression-established and withering consciousness between realities of mind-altering tribal doom.

CATHEDRAL The Garden of Unearthly Delights LP (Nuclear Blast)--I thought Endtyme was getting back to their doom basics, but this is the style, which makes me their biggest fan. So even despite Cathedral's classic doom and rocker evolution, they still (to me) hold the crown for best stoner or doom trademark since Sabbath. Lots of atmosphere and lots of bottom heavy riffs, check out the novel-length song "The Garden" (27 minutes).

NADJA Truth Becomes Death (Alien8)--Not to rein on someone's opinion of this being shoegazer doom, I would simply put it in terms of Godflesh putting on doomgazer shoes, I've been following Nadja for some time now, from self-releases to this first label outing. If you can get down with Jesu and Godflesh rifling, and raw low-end frequencies of linear static and maddening repetition, then you're there.

GRAVES AT SEA/ASUNDER Split (Life is Abuse)--Graves at Sea returns with two tracks of crusted doom torpedoes that the USS Arizona would have preferred. Graves can do no wrong, and we're still waiting for a tug-length. Oakland, CA's Asunder unleashes one mighty, slowly plunged injection of doomazine that will leave you crawling in the psych unit.

SOURVEIN Emerald Vulture (This Dark Reign)--If you think you've heard it 81L then don't think and remember this features Troy from Buzzov*en. A full length was originally intended but later decided to release this latest material in three segments (releases). Emerald Vulture whines into the growling lower bowels and will then rupture your spleen.