Doomed to repeat

A little over two years ago, we alerted the metal world to the arrival of Godthrymm, a new doom band formed and led by My Dying Bride/Solstice/Vallenfyre expat Hamish Glencross. With the addition of guitarist Chaz Netherwood and drummer Shaun Taylor-Steels (both of whom also played in Solstice), fans of all things slow, heavy and epic the world over knew well to pay attention to whatever would come next from those English doomlayers. Because if history were any indication, Glencross and crew would surely bring from those misty realms of doom unknown something monumental and exciting. And yet—even after the release of their debut EP, A Grand Reclamation (which we also premiered) and last year’s self-released promo EP—Godthrymm’s debut full-length breaks like a glorious new dawn over the modern wastelands of mediocrity.

Godthrymm have undergone some lineup changes since their formation, but the vision remains unshakeable. Glencross told us back in 2017 that Godthrymm would play traditional doom “with the added dimension of experience gained over the years.” So, while Godthrymm undoubtedly do doom by the book—and their influences are clear as day—there’s not a stale moment on this album. Glencross’ bellowing growled vocals stand out as some of the best you could hope to hear in contemporary modern doom, sounding like a young Nick Holmes. His wife, Catherine, joins him on two songs, at which point Reflections becomes simply euphoric.

Undoubtedly, Reflections is Glencross and company’s love letter to doom. Despite being an hour long, the album flies by. You’ll find yourself jamming this one over and over again, and something new will floor you every time.

Review taken from the April 2020 issue of Decibel, which is available here.