DOOM ‘N BLUE from Montréal have a brand new spanking video for their single “Two Bit Son of a Bitch.” Self-described as “earth-shaking sounds with no goddamn bounds!” Doom 'An Blue is the warm rock 'n’ roll hug you need as winter encroaches.

The single is a fan favorite at live gigs so it was only natural for it to become the first video for this intrepid duo of Jimmy Antle and Lee Whiskey who tell us: “This track is a great representation of the core of Doom 'An Blue. This is the tip of the iceberg that sank the Titanic, get your life jacket ready!”

Since 2018, Antle and Whiskey have, in their words, “conspired that the sounds, shapes, and possibilities of the project were to be left as limitless as the music which we would spawn; therefore inviting as many or as few collaborators from all ends of the musical universe as we feel are just right for each composition.”

This mindset and drive mean a Doom 'An Blue performance can include as many as 30 guests who throw their talent together to create passionate and lively rock ‘n roll. Get your feet ready for stomping and your beers ready for drinking because Doom ‘An Blue is bringing catchy rock straight to your ears!

WYKAN is the passion project of one Jeremy Perkins, hailing from Montreal, Quebec. He’s no stranger to the heavy underground, having fronted the black ‘n’ doom band Éohum for damn near a decade. Manning the guitar and sharing in the vocal duties, Jeremy is joined by chief vocalist Barrie Butler, bassist Corey Thomas, and Drummer Dug Kawliss.

Last year, Wykan flew just underneath my radar during one of the most crowded release calendars in memory, dropping their debut, 'Solace’ (2018). I downloaded it, of course, but like many of my fellow bloggers it was late in the year before I had a chance to really soak it in. Perhaps that’s for the better, as Wykan’s sound – blending blackened doom with stoner-blues and a flair for the dramatic – is still fresh in my mind.

There’s something magnetic-electric that draws me into records like Wykan’s latest, 'Brigid - Of The Night’ (2019). Brigid was a deity in Ireland before Roman Catholicism stamped out her rite. She’s known as the Celtic goddess of fertility, so this would be her time of year. She’s also “patron saint,” so to speak, of poetry, healing, and all you folks with the last name Smith (or at least the blacksmiths, swordsmiths, and songsmiths among us).

I love it when a creator attacks their craft with incisive vision. Of course, it doesn’t always come together neatly, but to see the pieces fit in the end has to be quite satisfying. I’d love to know more about Jeremy’s background, referencing “theatrical movement” and “ceremonial heaviness” in the liner notes, as he seems to be thinking on an almost operatic scale with these compositions.

If there were ever a reason to resurrect the once too-often used word epic, Wykan is it. You come away from both of these EPs feeling like you’ve experienced something monumental. I confess, I’ve yet to warm up to black metal on the whole, as it all sounds a little too wispy and paper thin for my tastes, but Wykan presents it with real substance. I think the doom helps to ground it, striking just the right balance between frenetic winter wind and the frozen ground of earth, with those blues sparking an unexpected fire.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is giving you a first listen to the opening number from Brigid - Of The Night: “Imbolc (The Cleansing).”

“This song is the introduction of the ceremonial aspects of the whole album. Wykan’s concept is to make it a ceremonial get-together of some sort for the listener to be taken to a musical space where the music is in constant evolution expanding.”

I was curious about the instrumentation for this song and Jeremy further enlightens us: “The beginning of this song is written on an Ovation acoustic guitar. I actually came up with most of the intro in the studio. It just sounded so awesome. I use a lot of pedals with this Wykan concept and this song clearly brings you to the '70s and transitions into black metal quite quickly, and then evolves slowly into a doom-death metal like approach.”

Featuring artwork once again by David Paul Seymour, Brigid - Of The Night manifests on Friday, July 7th (pre-order here).

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Founded in 2017 by guitarist Jeremy Perkins, Montreal’s Wykan plays a blend of psychedelic doom, heavy blues, stoner rock and black metal in the classic format of bass, drums, and guitar. Their experimental and massive sounding music is best described as Pink Floyd meeting Black Sabbath meeting Mayhem for those who have never heard the band.

In just under 8 months of the band being founded, Wykan unleashed their debut EP “Solace” to the masses in April 2018. The EP delivered a heavy brew, blending a soup of atmospheric groove, spirits of heavy riffs and hot tubes overridden and pushed to the limits in a ceremonial manner. As they continue on their path of ceremonial heaviness, Wykan returns in 2019 with their sophomore EP, 'Brigid: Of The Night’ (2019) to follow the band’s plan of releasing an EP every six-to-ten months and keep fans on a ceremonial run of emotion and space.

Set to release their sophomore EP 'Brigid: Of The Night’ (2019) on June 7th, 2019, to follow their 2018 debut EP “Solace”, WYKAN is premiering their first second single, “Imbolc (The Cleansing)” via Doomed & Stoned.

“We want to give fans a trip for the mind, without barriers and hooks, just plain vibes and atmosphere. This next EP is overall hits more classic riffing to go with each genre we touch in each of the songs. As a story, 'Brigid: Of The Night’ is about the Celtic Goddess known as Brigid. The whole thematic and three songs are a historical take on ceremonies and festivities based on her deity representation and relationship with the Celtic peoples of Ireland pre-Christianity.” says Perkins.

The band’s line up for the EP features guest drummer Simon McKay of The Agonist rattling his talents on track #3, “Reul-Iuil Bride (Star of Brigid)” along Wykan and Éohum founder Jeremy Perkins on guitar, vocalist Barrie Butler (Éohum, ex-Tard), bassist Corey Thomas, best known for his own jazz ensemble Backwater Township and drummer Dug Kawliss (ex-Tempete) who is on tracks #1, “Imbolc (The Cleansing),” and #2, “Breo-Saighead (Triple Goddess).”

“Brigid: Of The Night” also follows the band’s plan of releasing an EP every six to ten months and keep fans on a ceremonial run of emotion and space. Wykan’s new EP will be available on Bandcamp as a $1 EP or more Pay-What-You-Want download.

Review by Melissa Marie (D&S Midwest)

It’s summer, I know, but it’s time to bundle up real good, because we’re about to go on a rather frigid and icy trek into the long night. Fair warning: with each breath you take, your lungs will scream in freezing agony. Listen the howling of the wind, feel as it burns your face. The blinding orange sky is all around us as push ourselves forward in the numbing intensity of the northern Canada landscape.

This is the imagery that Norilsk create on their 2015 record The Idea of North. Norilsk is a doom band from Gatineau, Québec, comprised of Nicolas Miquelon who plays guitar, bass and sings, while Nick Richer plays drums and offers vocals, as well. Together, they muster such a large sound that I was really surprised and impressed to discover Norilsk are a duo. Mostly considered a doom band, the sick guitar tone hints at sludge, while the harsh vocals give it death metal feel. The Idea of North is very atmospheric, which conjures for listeners a very chilly Artic experience.

This gruesome expedition into the unknown commences with “Japetus” (which the band released as an EP in January of 2014, along with “Posdam Glo” and a cover of Voivod’s “Negatron”). Norilsk set the scene for the rest of this record with this grim opener. The riffs are huge pillars of doom met by a penetrating melody, and together these two forge work together, instead clashing. Macabre death, yet decipherable, vocals make their presence known and this, along with the steady, walking pace up the snowy mountain side, give Norilsk a boundless, bottomless sound. It’s depressing, almost stagnant and weary…and I can’t get enough of it.

For the next track, Norilsk slow things down even more with “Planéte Heurt.” It seems that the driving force here is the bass playing, which adds incredible weight. The bass hammers away, perfectly executed, in fact, throughout the record. Nicolas’ voice is so desolate and bleak that it’s truly unlike anything I’ve heard. Sophisticated guitar melodies float over the crushing tidal wave of riffs, matched with melancholic vocals as we descend even further into the polar sonic abyss.

There’s a pickup in speed to be found on this record, as well. Skip ahead to the fourth track, “La liberté aux ailes brisées,” and you’ll see what I mean. Notice the mid-tempo riffing action, complimented by infectious melody. For that reason, this track is an absolute stand out, showing just how deep an understanding of doom Norilsk possess.

Another thing that won’t go unnoticed is the use of the French language in these songs, as opposed to the standard English we’re used to hearing in our metal. I really like this touch because it adds a sort of grim mystery to the story. This is best displayed in the next song, “Nature Morte.” Norilsk tone things down some through an intriguing guitar plucking and whispering voices - something that reminds me of Yob in one of their quiet moments. This slow mantra continues for the length of the song and, while I enjoy the balance, this track brings to Idea of North, it creates a tension that doesn’t develop far enough for me.

A majestic Candlemass-like intro ushers us into “Potsdam Glo,” but quickly make a dreary turn as those bone chilling vocals take over. Intricate melodies dance all over the place, while the dense vocals flatten everything in sight. There are touches of traditional doom to be found on this track and the guitar solo at the end showcases Norilsk’s brilliance.

Check out the next track, “La Grande Noirceur,” for something a bit more haunting than what we’ve heard so far. It’s a two-minute funeral track preceding the album closer. This instrumental is led by a solitary guitar proclamation escorted by a sedated, blackened fog which leads directly into the title track.

More of those blackened riffs are back, as well as the death-doom melody we have, by now, all come to crave. However, it’s still shrouded in mystery that keeps “The Idea of North” a very obscure song. This track (the longest of the record) is the real embodiment of the Norilsk sound, as Herculean riffs dance along furiously like wind-swept drifts of snow.

Just like the bitter and discordant domain Norilsk evoke with The Idea of North, some listeners may find themselves in that same numbing cold. While most veteran doom fans will come see this record for the heavy, melodic triumph that it is, those new to the genre (and specifically the sub-genre of death-doom) may find the album a bit plodding, in part due to the lurking tempo. For those that have an unyielding grasp on the world of doom, The Idea of North is an adventurous trip through forbidding landscape of the northern Canadian wilderness, with painfully slow death-doom and melancholic melodies in the vein of Thergothon and My Dying Bride. All things considered, this is some brilliant sonic worship.