Monolord

Monolord formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2013 with Thomas V Jäger on guitar and vocals, Mika Häkki on bass, and Esben Willems on drums. They started playing a heavy, slow-moving style of doom metal that leaned into psychedelic textures and massive riffs.

Their first album, Empress Rising, came out in 2014 and set the tone for what followed. Songs like 'Rust' and 'The Weary' built on that foundation, with thick basslines and vocals that drift through the distortion rather than cut over it. The band has kept a steady pace of releases since then, including Vænir, No Comfort, and a second Empress Rising album in 2020.

Lyrically, Monolord often touches on cosmic themes and a kind of heavy, existential atmosphere. The music isn't particularly aggressive in a traditional metal sense; it's more about weight and space, with songs that unfold slowly and deliberately. They've built a following among listeners who want their doom metal hazy and huge.