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by Jak Roehrick | photo by Catherine Henry

Massive amplifiers, elaborate paintings, and otherworldly soundscapes. Three descriptors which, when taken by themselves, occupy their own spaces in the art world. Guitar amplifiers exhibit raw power and stature, while the intricacy of physical art expresses creativity visually. In a combination of the two, soundscapes sweep through space with the grace of a painting, while presenting itself through audio.

When combined, the presence of power, intricacy, and depth creates the means to explore new worlds, both through a listening experience and lyricism. Though many different artists and genres have explored this trifecta of art, one above all others channeled this creativity towards creating fantasy worlds: “doom metal.”

A subgenre of heavy metal, “doom metal” consists of slow, driving riffs, plumbing drums, a heavy emphasis on rhythm, and dizzying volume. Guitars featured in the genre are often gritty, biting at the listener with a jolt. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of bass and drums keep a driving feel to the track, usually with very little variation throughout long run times. Though the history of “doom” is long, defining bands like Black Sabbath, Sleep, Electric Wizard, Sunn O))), and Boris have stuck to their influences tightly, deriving from earlier genres such as blues rock and psychedelia.

Across various albums and decades, the sound of “doom” has a commonality: the creation of fantasy worlds for the listener to explore. From elder wizards to ancient desert soldiers, the haze of “doom’s” distorted guitars and pounding cymbals explore alien landscapes, both instrumental and lyrical. To start the path into the foreign realms of fantasy, two “doom” albums serve as storytelling landmarks in the genre.

When one thinks of mystical fantasy worlds, Birmingham, England, in the 1960s likely isn’t the first location they would imagine. However, clogged with industrial smoke and congestion, the gloomy city served as the perfect backdrop to a new escape from reality: heavy metal.

Following an industrial accident in 1965, then Earth guitarist Tony Iommi had damaged his fingertips, rendering him incapable of playing the instrument at speed. However, he discovered that tuning the instrument down allowed for his damaged fingers to be able to regain control of the strings, now more loose and malleable. Though this was helpful for ease of play, the real advancement was in sound. The downtuned guitar produced a heavier, more aggressive sound, perfect for Earth’s renaming. A new title which, given enough time, would throw them into controversy: Black Sabbath. In 1970, the band released their self-titled debut album which aimed to take rock-and-roll into completely new territory. While bands of the past would allude to images of witchcraft and the devil, Black Sabbath directly discussed these controversial topics. Over tense guitar riffs and claps of thunder, the opening track, “Black Sabbath,” sees both the creation of “doom” and its early entry into fantasy. Hauntingly, the vocals of Ozzy Osbourne echo with heavy reverb, as lines such as, “Big black shape with eyes of fire,” invite the listener into a frightening atmosphere. Seemingly being dragged into hell, the narrator describes his encounter with the devil himself, a creative liberty never explored by rock music in the past. Though run-ins with the devil became commonplace in Black Sabbath’s later works, the self-titled debut explores other various realms of fantasy. “Wasp,” the third track on the album, indulges in vivid language portraying one’s embrace of death. The paired lines “Feel your spirit rise with the breeze” and “Feel your body falling to its knees” portray an unnamed character transcending into the afterlife, indulging in abstract ideas of mysticism.

The early works of Black Sabbath would go on to play a massive role in “doom,” as many bands mirrored their writing style throughout the latter half of the 20th century. However, as the 2000s approached, so too did a growing trend in the genre: increasing song lengths. By the 1990s, “doom” albums, featuring 15 and 20 minute tracks, became standard, embracing the over-the-top feel of fantasy. In 1998, acclaimed “doom” band Sleep released their magnum opus, Dopesmoker, to the acclaim of both critics and fans alike. Despite being nearly 70 minutes long, the album consisted of only two tracks: the closer “Hot Lava Man” and the monumental title track lasting 63 minutes. Across the boundless track, Sleep wears the influence of Black Sabbath on their sleeves: slow, droning guitars, enormous crashes and cymbals, and bellowing vocals. Once again, the lyrics of “Dopesmoker” paint the image of a mystical, faraway world, swallowed by sand and sky. Over the course of an hour, the track weaves through a tale of discovery and adventure, describing a holy quest through barren wastes: “Creedsmen roll out across the dying dawn, Sacred Israel Holy Mountain Zion, Sun beams down on to the Sandsean reigns…”. Though a strong contrast to the lyrical paintings of Black Sabbath, Sleep employs the same droning song structure to conjure the image of a sacred quest, rather than a descent into hell. Additionally, artist Arik Roper brilliantly casts image to sound, creating a jaw dropping cover for the album. Across the original 17 by 36 foot masterpiece, scorching sands meet rocky cliffs to form an alien desert. Despite the barrenness of the landscape, an oceanic blue sky contains many fantastical elements, such as a double moon and steampunk spacecraft. However, most notably featured are the explorers themselves, a caravan of beings swaddled in rags, trudging through the blistering heat. In its totality, both the visual and audio experience of Dopesmoker fills the listener’s head with whimsical visions of foreign lands, holy quests, and alien creatures, all cornerstones of the fantasy genre.

Though the sound of “doom” may correlate with screeching guitars and drums, the lyrics and structure of the genre’s songs tell a different story. It is a story rooted in fantasy, from the origins of occult imagery to the long-form adventures of today. Vibrant imagery, haunting soundscapes and brash instrumentals may conjure images of terror, but the fantasy drive of “doom” proves the genre to be one of the most intricate in the music world.

Creedsmen roll out across the dying dawn, Sacred Israel

Holy Mountain Zion, Sun beams down on to the Sandsean reigns…