Book Review

If you thought you had learned everything there was to know about doom metal from the first volume of Doom Metal Lexicanum, book 2 is going to be an eye-opener.

In 2017, Cult Never Dies published Aleksey Evdokimov’s Doom Metal Lexicanum in a rugged paperback edition. Four years later, they issued a second edition of that book in hardcover. At the same time, to the surprise and delight of everyone, a second volume of Doom Metal Lexicanum was also introduced. The second book is just as long as the first, potentially doubling the readers’ knowledge doom.

The original treatise focused on what is thought of now as traditional doom metal. The second volume shines a light on the death-doom bands, primarily, taking a close look at the harder edge of the genre, along with closely related sub- and adjacent-genres. Think more in the My Dying Bride, Katatonia direction than Candlemass. Every entry has basic information about the band, its history, members, and a select discography. More than enough to start an obsession. The first thing I do when I come across any doom-related band I am not very familiar with is look them up in these books. There are on-line resources, true, but the Doom Metal Lexicanum books have a lot more information.

Besides the entries on the bands, there are several interviews included at the end of the book: Gregor Mackintosh (Paradise Lost), Paul “Hammy” Halmshaw (Peaceville Records), Robert “Mags” Magoolagen (Academy Studios), Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride), and Martin Powell (My Dying Bride). These detailed one-on-ones give you fascinating insight into the art and industry of doom.

These books are both fantastic, and to me they are endlessly entertaining. I have a hard time putting them down, because as soon as I finish one entry, I am on to the next. I can read it straight through, alphabetically, or flip around the book and choose an entry at random. There is a lot here and, for doom fans, it is a genuine treasure trove.

Will there be a volume three? Who knows. While we are waiting to see what happens on that front, there is plenty to spend our time on in the first two. Highly recommended.

Book Details.

Doom Metal Lexicanum II, second edition

By Aleksey Evdokimov

Edited by Alex De Moller, with Simon Ferrie and Dayal Patterson

Published by Crypt Publications and Cult Never Dies in 2021

Hardcover

324 pages

ISBN: 978-1-915148-03-2

Link.

Cult Never Dies, https://cultneverdies.myshopify.com/collections/all-publications/products/doom-metal-lexicanum-2-book-hardback

If you ever have any questions about doom metal, the answers are in this book.

Aleksey Evdokimov has compiled and assembled an astonishing amount of information regarding doom metal music. On the surface, Doom Metal Lexicanum is exactly what it appears to be: an encyclopedia of doom metal bands. You do get broad coverage of more bands than you can imagine. I thought I knew a lot about this vein of music, but clearly I was wrong. There are bands here I have never heard of, dozens and dozens of them. The entries are different lengths, depending on how long the band has been around, how much they have performed, and the number of albums they have released. For new bands or short-lived one, you will find a couple of paragraphs. For legendary groups like Candlemass, the entry goes on for pages.

Evdokimov covers 360 bands, in doom and closely related fields. I performed an experiment wherein I tried to think of a band that wasn’t in the book. I didn’t do very well. In fact, I couldn’t come up with any, except for ones that aren’t really doom bands or are new enough to have missed the publication deadline. The coverage is comprehensive and, while it might not be exhaustive, it is close enough to confound any metalhead I know. In addition to the entries describing the bands and their work, you also get a few essays at the end of the volume discussing related topics like witchcraft and black magic in doom, Lovecraftian influences on the music, and so on.

The current incarnation of the volume is the second edition. The author notes that the text has been revised only slightly. Essentially, the selected discographies have been updated for important new albums that have emerged in the four years that passed since the first edition, along with a few minor other changes, but the text from the first edition remains largely intact. The new edition is in hardcover, which is an improvement over the original paperback, and the layout is a bit different, too, also enhancing the reading experience.

If you are a doom metal fan, this book is absolutely essential. You can order a copy through the link below or gather one up at your preferred bookseller.

Book Details.

Doom Metal Lexicanum, second edition

By Aleksey Evdokimov

Published by Crypt Publications and Cult Never Dies in 2021

Hardcover

324 pages

ISBN: 978-1-915148-02-5

Link.

Cult Never Dies, https://cultneverdies.myshopify.com/collections/all-publications/products/doom-metal-lexicanum-book-2022-hardback-edition

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Book Review: Doom Metal Lexicanum II, by Aleksey Evdokimov (Cult Never Dies 2021)

Book Review: Doom Metal Lexicanum, by Aleksey Evdokimov (Cult Never Dies 2021)