Doombringers Upyr and Whitehorse Throw a Powerful One-Two Punch

When you're listening to the right kind of doom metal, you should feel like you're slowly falling into a vortex of darkness and pain. No two bands are more up to the task of throwing you into black holes than Upyr and Whitehorse, and they've teamed up to drop a new split LP.

Whitehorse's "Settled Dust" rings out for almost 20 minutes, featuring a slow, consuming, quicksand-like riff that pounds and pounds. As it progresses, things get brighter — or more fatal, depending on your perspective — the band incorporating a string section that creates a kind of funeral procession vibe.

Upyr's side takes a more metallic, sludgy, Sabbath-like approach. "Rise of the Mighty Tyrant" is chunky and huge, making for a strange feeling when solos are obscured by louder, overbearing riffs. "Webs of Sorrow" comes off like a recitation of funeral rites, before everything picks up for a final, fast-paced end section. Both bands provide equally valid shades of doom, a reminder of the genre's emotive and powerful potential.