This Italian Doom Metal trio will attack armed with their third studio album, spinning tales of arcane fantasy and mortal frailty into riffs that crush and melodies that linger like a curse.

Having carved a niche in the underground since their inception in 2021 with a sound that’s both a homage to the old gods and a fresh hell of its own, slow-burning, groove-heavy, and laced with Stoner Metal venom, Pesaro, Italy-based Doom Metal trio Warcoe returns to action with their third album, titled Upon Tall Thrones, the follow-up to their 2023 opus A Place for Demons. Recorded at Avangarage Recording Studio, and mastered by Craig Thomas, Upon Tall Thrones sees vocalist and guitarist Stefano, bassist Carlo, and drummer Francesco ascend darker, heavier, and more hypnotic as they spin tales of arcane fantasy and mortal frailty into riffs that crush and melodies that linger like a curse.

The opening track Octagon exhales of the trademark and absolutely heavy sound created and perfected by Black Sabbath, from the doomed, grim vocals and riffs by Stefano to the sluggish beats by Francesco, and the final result is obviously hypnotizing, kicking off the album on a high and amazing note. Their devilish Sludge and Doom Metal sounds keep permeating the air in The Wanderer, with Carlo’s low-tuned, rumbling bass walking hand in hand with Francesco’s hammering drums; whereas adding a pinch of Rock N’ Roll to their core sonority we have I’ve Sat Upon Tall Thrones (but I’ll Never Learn), with Stefano slashing his axe in great fashion, resulting in a great option for raising our horns high in the sky in the name of our gold old heavy music.

Then after the soothing instrumental interlude Gather in the Woods we face Flame in Your Hand, another heavy-as-hell Doom Metal aria showcasing the power of the riff while Francesco flawlessly dictates the song’s devilish pace. Spheres again blends the obscurity of Doom Metal with the heavy yet melodic sounds of Sludge and Stoner Rock and Metal, followed by Deepest Grave, and a song with such a Stygian name deserved sheer heaviness, which is exactly what the trio offers, with the cryptic vocals by Stefano sounding spot-on. The ruthless bass by Carlo will punch you in the head in Brown Witch, accompanied by the Black Sabbath-fueled riffs and beats by his bandmates in a lecture in Doom Metal, while lastly it’s time for Dark into Light, with its main riff reminding me a lot of “Heaven & Hell” (which is obviously a good thing), and with the pounding beats by Francesco ending the album on a high note.

Dragging classic doom into the abyss and back with Sabbathian weight, Saint Vitus’ raw gloom, and the swagger of Trouble’s golden-era riffage, Upon Tall Thrones might be the band’s strongest effort to date, and if you want to know more about those bringers of Italian doom you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their riff-laden compositions on Spotify, and grab a copy of their new album from their own BandCamp or from Ripple Music’s BandCamp or webstore. Warcoe definitely know how to craft heavy music filled with doom, gloom, might, and magic, and Upon Tall Thrones will undoubtedly take them places in their exciting mission of bringing sheer doom to our decaying world.

Best moments of the album: Octagon, Flame in Your Hand and Brown Witch.

Worst moments of the album: Spheres.

Released in 2025 Ripple Music

Track listing
1. Octagon 3:39
2. The Wanderer 3:45
3. I’ve Sat Upon Tall Thrones (but I’ll Never Learn) 4:09
4. Gather in the Woods 2:14
5. Flame in Your Hand 4:24
6. Spheres 4:23
7. Deepest Grave 5:00
8. Brown Witch 4:31
9. Dark into Light 5:40

Band members
Stefano – vocals, guitars, bass on “The Wanderer”
Carlo – bass
Francesco – drums