I’ve delved into stoner doom metal enough to know what I’m looking for. While many albums I’ve explored didn’t quite capture my attention, Vast Pyre‘s material truly struck a chord. This album feels like it was forged in the very bowels of hell or the darkest reaches of space. It’s a potent mix of down-tuned riffs, blackened drone textures, and an all-encompassing sense of bleakness.

The cover artwork for “Vast Pyre”
© Zdzisław Beksiński

The record runs for about fifty minutes, but it feels much longer. That’s largely due to its drawn-out passages and the way the music intertwines with harsh blackened grooves. The opening track, “Focus Deceased” sets the tone with its violent drumming and solitary guitar, creating a burst of sonic energy. The amplifier feedback here is particularly ferocious, giving rise to some intense instrumental segments.

Vast Pyre embraces an unapologetically heavy style that intensifies with each track. Their blend of drone, doom, sludge, and stoner metal unfolds in a disjointed yet progressive manner. Ambient themes become more pronounced in tracks like “Cataleptic” “Revelation” and the standout finale, “The Argent Tomb“.

What sets this album apart is the incorporation of eerie sound effects and glitch noises, adding an unsettling atmosphere. The decision to forgo a bass guitar might seem risky, but it’s a bold move that pays off. It works for bands like Slomatics, and it works brilliantly here too. This choice lends Vast Pyre a primal, violent edge that enhances the cosmic elements of their sound.

Additional Insights

Aligning themselves with the underground powerhouse Argonauta Records was a smart move. They know how to push boundaries, and Vast Pyre’s debut is a testament to that. With Esben Willems of Monolord and Slower handling the mastering, the album delivers an apocalyptic doom/stoner metal experience that’s both thought-provoking and deafening.