siLLy puPPy Coming from the central California coastal city of San Luis Obispo, BLOODMOON is a band that’s been around since 2010 and has joined the ranks of those metal bands that take a pinch of this and a touch of that and creates an interesting hybrid of metal styles all served up in an album’s run of music. This power trio consists of Patrick Mulholland (bass), Jason Goldie (drums, vocals) and Peter Tomis (vocals, guitar) and has been compared to Isis for its long drawn out sludgy post-metal hypnotic runs but actually takes a cue from the doom metal and black metal worlds to create its debut release VOIDBOUND which came out in 2013.

With a playing time of nearly 39 minutes, VOIDBOUND hosts only three tracks with the opening title track just shy of 18 minutes. This is one of those bands that likes a lot of foreplay before the grand climaxing money scene and that’s exactly what BLOODMOON delivers on this haunting spectral slice of blackened doom metal that cranks out sludge metal monstrous riffing laced with atmospheric eeriness graced with clean and growly vocals that parade down the runway at a non-quickened pace but yet still has the extra energetic touches to keep this from being slow and slimy like a snail’s trail. To be clear the sung vocals are growly and the wordless ones are clean and ethereal.

With tracks this long things have to be spiced up to keep the boredom from setting in so BLOODMOON has mastered the art of engaging in lengthy developments and then punctuating the regularly scheduled program with clean guitar passages as well as emphatic angularities in the form of proggy time signature outbursts. As the title track unfolds the drumming prowess begins to create monstrous percussive bombast and the track becomes ever more unstable despite the melodic riff sticking to a fairly predictable procession. While the references to bands like Isis and Pelican are well founded, BLOODMOON is a bit more diverse in how often it changes things up and has no qualms taking the doom metal into highly excitable metal quickenings that deviate from the pattern and jump into completely different sounding motifs.

“Black World” is the second longest track at just over 13 minutes and perhaps the most haunting as the background vocals are absolutely spooky when they emerge from behind the clean segments as well as the sludgy doom metal distorted din. Most of all i’m impressed on how many different styles can be eked out of a single predictable doom metal riff for so long without getting boring. Did i mention how cool the vocals are? Howling and haunting they add a new dimension to the metal march that allows the basic triumvirate of guitar, bass and drum to improvise a bit while the focus is upon them. “The Singing Flame” is downright short by just missing the 8 minute mark but instead packs of punch of intensity with guitar feedback, more amplified guitar distortion and increased tempos. The vocals are set back and have to shout from beneath the din. This one also becomes more loose and melodic as it wind the album down. Very effective.

So what exactly is this? Doom metal? Sludge? Prog? Definitely not black although there is some of that too? Don’t know but eclectic doom would cover it i guess. One thing is for sure and that is the fact that BLOODMOON maintains an even keel pace throughout VOIDBOUND but yet manages to throw enough curve balls to make this a fascinating debut release which also allows the musicians to display their chops unlike many other variations of doom metal. This was a surprise that i loved this so much. These guys really know how to make the most out of a little and have the creative chops to pull it off. The atmospheric vocal contributions serve as a fourth instrument that a keyboard normally would tackle but the way BLOODMOON does it makes it utterly irresistible. This is a highly recommended slice of progressive doom metal with all kinds of cool extras.