DayGlo Mourning / ‘Dead Star’ is a classic Doom gem

Whilst it is true that most of the time I like my Metal to be so brutal it sears the flesh from my face, it is not always the case. Sometimes I just want something to chillax to and ‘Dead Star’, from Atlanta’s Stoner/Doom Metal trio DayGlo Mourning meets that remit perfectly.

DayGlo Mourning – Dead Star (Black Doomba Records)

Release Date: 12 February 2021

Words: Jools Green

‘Dead Star’, their second full length and follow up to their self-titled independent release back in 2018, is a six track thirty-five-minute chunk of classic Doom Metal, awash with thick fuzzy stoner riffs and groove, and an added touch of psychedelics, as their name so aptly describes.

The album opens on ‘Dead Star’ where a psychedelic soundscape expands out into a heavy but groovy plod, hypnotic bass lines punctuated with slow well placed drum work and gravelly vocal delivery with clarity of content, which is accompanied by higher backing vocals and in the second half a laidback chunk of blusey leadwork.

Next ‘The Offering’, which is slow and reflective to open, has distant clean vocals building in intensity and develops that classic Doom, bottom of the gut vibe, to form the core of the song. It ebbs and flows between these two moods, the drum work pounding its way meticulously through and something I rarely hear these days, in the second half, a talk box solo.

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Opening on a groovy loose drum rhythm and dirty groovy riffs, ‘Bloodghast’ has a lovely relaxed and hypnotic feel to its construct, with the clean but slightly rugged vocals soaring out to permeate the atmosphere of this cleverly drum dominated track. It has a sultry bluesy second half solo to complete the sound.

Cover of Dead Star from DayGlo Mourning

Gorgeous gut churning bass lines dominate ‘Faithful Demise’, which explores the dark topics of death and religion, another track that has that powerfully haunting ebb and flow to its construct. The vocals are clean and haunting, with a touch of an echo manifesting in the quieter segments, and in between there is a contrast of crushingly fuzzy goodness. Throughout, the drum beats pop out precise rhythms and it is completed by yet another blues rich spiralling chunk of leadwork.

The church style choral that open ‘Ashwhore’ adds an interesting touch to an otherwise heavy fuzzy hypnotic beat of a track. It is contrasted with rugged cleans, whilst crescendos of cymbal work pepper the track adding extra interest. With a very groove rich bluesy solo slithering its sultry way out of the riffs, it then sinks back into that heavy fuzzy goodness again.

Final track ‘Witches’ Ladder’ features intonations of curses to drag the listener into the depths of the occult, whilst the overall sound reflects this with a dark, low and heavy groove which is positively stomach churning in the second half, all punctuated with a powerful drum delivery. I love the sinister edge to the overall atmosphere of this darkly impactful track.

‘Dead Star’ is one seriously laidback and groovy offering. A classic Doom gem!!

Sleeve Notes

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