Happy 4/20! We’re helping you get the day good and lit with this sludgy cover of a smoking favorite, “Bury Me In Smoke.” Y'all know I’m a sucker for covers, and we’re about to witness two bands taking on this Down standard from 1995’s NOLA. I’m talking about Atlanta’s DAYGLO MOURNING and Birmingham’s EMBR, two top notch doom bands we’ve featured in these pages before and played on The Doomed & Stoned Show. The pair had this to say about their collaboration:

Dayglo Mourning and EMBR are fans of each other’s music so we decided, “Hey, why not collaborate on something special”? We threw around a couple ideas on what to do. After a few conversations we finally decided to cover a classic song together: “Bury Me In Smoke” by Down. Not just because it’s a jammin’ song – it’s also a fucking classic. I mean really, who doesn’t like that song?

We had a few jam sessions and headed to Ledbelly Sound Studio – and the end result? - we think you’ll dig it. We tried something different with the video and collected short clips from Old Blood, MWWB, Witchpit, and Blacklab, among many others. It’s all a tribute to the 4/20 holiday.!

The EMBR/Dayglo Mourning rendition of the song features big, sweeping riffs, sludgey beats, and dank vox. My guess is you’ll have this on regular rotation in the 4/20 playlist today. Personally, I couldn’t help listening to it on repeat. May the smoke be with you!

Give ear…

Who could have foreseen that by the close of the year Atlanta would hit the heavy underground in such an impactful way? Why just last week, we kicked off the gloomy month of November with some damned fine pickings from a band called Big Oaf, and now who should we encounter but lumbering heavyweights DAYGLO MOURNING!

Listening to this beast roar, it makes me wonder whether a handful of magic beans were spilled during the ‘90s by touring acts Melvins, Tad, and Electric Wizard and this, mingled with the rich soil of the Atlanta heavy underground, birthed the quintessential doom 'n’ grunge act before us.

Frontman Joseph Mills is a wild man on vocals and guitar in dreadful opener, “Dead Star,” while bassist Jerimy McNeil strums the sweet spot every damned time in “The Offering.” There’s something urgent – crazed even – about Ray Miner’s drumming in “Bloodghast,” as if emerging from the cracks of Stone Mountain itself. The atmosphere is as dank as you could ask for when these three have a meeting of the minds, and we’re climbing the “Witch’s Ladder” to a “Faithful Demise” in no time.

Behold: the new face of doom! This is DayGlo Mourning and, yes, you’d better get to know that name because we’ll likely be hearing more of them in the months ahead. Were I a betting man, I’d place a healthy wager on you going back to spin their first album 'DayGlo Mourning’ (2017) immediately following this music video premiere from their second. 'Dead Star’ (2021) releases February 10th on CD and digital formats via Black Doomba Records (pre-order here). It’s just the kind of attack that doom needed to kickstart a new year, while consigning 2020 to the dustbin of collective memory.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Sometimes a band just lands with such impact that their momentum carries them into instant recognition. DayGlo Mourning out of Atlanta are just that band. It wasn’t long after their self-titled début that they signed on the dotted line with established connoisseurs Black Doomba Records, which has been their home label ever since. Now, the time has come for a new record to showcase the best of what they have to offer. Dead Star embodies the band’s name: DayGlo vibrant colors adorn the packaging which envelops the Mourning-laden riffs.

The trio are not ones to waste a listener’s time, and go straight to what they do best – an homage to the fuzziest, most classic doom metal they can muster. The drums are on fire; Ray Miner may not be breaking any speed barriers, but he crashes and pounds out a fierce rhythm such as on opener “Dead Star.” Bassist Jerimy McNeil, meanwhile, gets a welcome center stage slot on more than one occasion, leading the charge on “The Offering” and “Faithful Demise.” Naturally, the guitars are in the constant search for That Tone, and the one here is just the right level of amp-worshipping distortion, counterbalancing the beer-soaked yet melodic vocals of Joe Mills.

DayGlo Mourning didn’t get to this position by resting on their laurels, though, and Dead Star has a few tricks up its sleeve. One of these is the delightful blues-driven solos that litter the record, including a talk box solo on “The Offering”, while “Witch’s Ladder” shows just how low and heavy they go, while featuring intonations of curses to drag the listener into the depths of the occult. On a similar vibe, “Faithful Demise” feels strangely playful given its dark topics of death and religion, while the church-like choirs on “Ashwhore” are suitably sacrilegious.

In short, while the début was a strong opening statement, Dead Star is a necessary next step for DayGlo Mourning. Bound to delight fans of doom metal of all stripes, it’s a must-have record that stands proud among the growing accolades of a band who rep their city’s metal scene so strongly.