Tag Archives: experimental doom metal

Album Review – Backengrillen / Backengrillen (2026)

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Behold the scathing debut by this Swedish ensemble, filled to the brim with the self-hatred endemic to the province of Västerbotten from whence they hail.

The grill will fucking rule things. A new ensemble born from the ashes of Refused, with their roots in Hardcore, Punk Rock, Noise and free Jazz, Umeå, Sweden-based Experimental Death/Doom Metal/Punk Rock/Jazz entity Backengrillen is ready to attack your senses with their self-titled debut offering, filled to the brim with the self-hatred endemic to the province of Västerbotten from whence the member’s hail. Blasting an antifascist and antiracist free form of death-jazz in the memory of Swedish musician Lars Lystedt (RIP), the band formed of Dennis Lyxzén on vocals and effects, Mats Gustafsson on saxophone, flute and live electronics, Magnus Flagge on bass, and David Sandström on drums and electronics brings forward a paean to chaos and destruction in their debut opus, inspired by the most distinct acts the likes of The Cramps, Little Richard, Albert Ayler, Polly Bradfield, Entombed, John Zorn, Misfits, Stooges, Lars Gullin, Can and much more.

The album kicks off with ten minutes of absolute sonic insanity entitled A Hate Inferior, starting in the most serene, grim manner before evolving into a deadly Sludge and Doom Metal feast led by the demented sax by Mats; and such a high level of craziness goes on in full force in Dör för långsamt, or “dying too slowly” in English, where Mats’ flute walks hand in hand with the tribal beats by David, all boosted by the bursts of sheer dementia by Dennis on vocals. Then their wicked fusion of metal music with the unique sound of the saxophone sets the tone in Repeater II, where Dennis once again sounds killer on vocals supported by the thunderous kitchen crafted by Magnus and David. Backengrillen, the song that carries the name of the band and of the album, brings to our avid ears a fully Experimental Doom Metal sonority with hints of Noise, sounding utterly sluggish, caustic, and visceral, followed by Socialism or Barbarism, the most dissonant yet melodic of all songs, perfect for dancing inside the mosh pit, with Mats once again stealing the show armed with his infuriated sax.

Backengrillen was written on a Thursday during their first ever rehearsal, performed live on a Friday and recorded on a Saturday, so what you’re hearing is raw, stupid, gut instinct music played by seasoned purveyors of Hardcore Punk, countless forms of metal music, free Jazz, Noise, and so on, positioning the band as one of the most innovative names of the current Swedish rock and metal scene. Backengrillen are such a weird band to the point they don’t have any profiles in any type of social media, giving them an even rawer and unique vibe, but of course you can put your damned hands on their destructive debut by purchasing it from BandCamp or from Svart Records. Backengrillen is Swedish for “back grill,” which makes me wonder if the band is inviting us to enjoy some quality barbeque with them while listening to their album, or if they simply want to throw us in the grill to feel the fire of their demented music. Either way, I’m in.

Best moments of the album: Repeater II and Socialism or Barbarism.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Svart Records

Track listing
1. A Hate Inferior 10:09
2. Dör för långsamt 12:12
3. Repeater II 6:11
4. Backengrillen 10:18
5. Socialism or Barbarism 9:37

Band members
Dennis Lyxzén – vocals, effects
Mats Gustafsson – saxophone, flute, live electronics
Magnus Flagge – bass
David Sandström – drums, electronics

Album Review – Exhalus / Inexorable Decay EP (2025)

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An unpredictable Drone and Doom Metal entity from Finland returns with a beyond unique EP, featuring the raw, repetitive structures that have always been its core while also pushing into a more progressive direction.

Hailing from Lohja, a town in Finland located in the southern interior of the country (and home of a statue of the world’s saddest miner), Experimental/Progressive Drone/Doom Metal project Exhalus, the brainchild of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mircea Purdea, will darken your minds with its newborn EP, entitled Inexorable Decay, the follow-up to the 2022 album Failed Rituals to Ascend. Featuring the raw, repetitive structures that have been the core of Exhalus music throughout its 19 years of existence while also pushing into a more progressive direction, the EP is perhaps the project’s most experimental one yet. Furthermore, while it’s not the first one to use synthesized clean vocals, it’s the first that uses them this extensively, giving an extra touch of uniqueness to the whole album when compared to all of its previous releases.

The opening track Erosion sounds utterly sluggish, vile and disturbing from the very first second, with its deep gnarls and sharp riffage working as the soundtrack to a grim horror movie, followed by Vortex, offering a weird, unique fusion of metallic and groovy guitars and bass with eerie vocalizations, or in other words, it’s the epitome of Experimental Drone and Doom Metal. Mircea keeps hammering his guitar and bass in Grinder, again blending the past, present and future of experimental music while also presenting massive beats that add an extra dosage of heaviness to the overall result. Surrender continues from where the previous song ended, bringing to our avid ears wicked guitar lines and a complete sense of lunacy and despair during its three instrumental minutes; and last but not least, the EP ends with Faded, setting a serene mood to the sound of the piano that remains until the very end.

In the end, while at its core the music still had the approach of Drone Metal and the misery of Doom Metal, the structure became more and more progressive, with most songs on the EP not even being considered metal (if there’s a limit to what metal can be). Hence, if you want to know more about this uncanny entity from the land of ice and snow, you can find Exhalus on Facebook, stream more of its music on Spotify, and purchase a copy of Inexorable Decay from BandCamp (keeping in mind the CD digipak version of the album is limited to 50 copies only). No one knows what’s next for Exhalus, and I dare to say not even Mircea Purdea, keeping the project as fresh and vibrant as it’s mysterious and unpredictable, exactly how the fusion of Drone and Doom Metal shall always be.

Best moments of the album: Erosion and Grinder.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Erosion 2:43
2. Vortex 2:24
3. Grinder 3:26
4. Surrender 3:18
5. Faded 2:31

Band members
Mircea Purdea – vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians
Topias Jokipii – vocals on “Erosion”
Chris Kembry – guitars on “Faded”