Review by Sonny for Black Lodge - Covet (1995)

Black Lodge was a short-lived Norwegian doom outfit formed in 1993 who split shortly after releasing this, their one and only full-length album. Although this is chiefly a death doom album, it is so much more and is one of the great under-appreciated doom metal releases. Featuring clean female and growled male vocals, you would be forgiven for assuming this leans toward gothic death doom, but it certainly doesn't - Vegar Hoel's male vocals remind me a little of Max Cavalera and as a consequence the album sounds more aggressive than any gothic elements would allow. The tempo slows occasionally to such an extent that it tips over into funeral doom territory such as on Tower Inertial, but the atmosphere is more desperate and angst-ridden than merely despondent and melancholy. I get the sense of a certain defiance from the music and whereas a lot of extreme doom has a feeling of acceptance, this seems to rail against whatever misfortune has bought them to this place. A genuinely cult doom metal album that any fan of the genre should ensure they hear.