Upyr / Whitehorse

***"When you're listening to the right kind of doom metal, you should feel like you're slowly falling into a vortex of darkness and pain. No two bands are more up to the task of throwing you into black holes than UPYR and WHITEHORSE, and they've teamed up to drop a new split LP. Whitehorse's 'Settled Dust' rings out for almost 20 minutes, featuring a slow, consuming, quicksand-like riff that pounds and pounds. As it progresses, things get brighter—or more fatal, depending on your perspective—the band incorporating a string section that creates a kind of funeral procession vibe. Upyr's side takes a more metallic, sludgy, Sabbath-like approach. 'Rise of the Mighty Tyrant' is chunky and huge, making for a strange feeling when solos are obscured by louder, overbearing riffs. 'Webs of Sorrow' comes off like a recitation of funeral rites, before everything picks up for a final, fast-paced end section. Both bands provide equally valid shades of doom, a reminder of the genre's emotive and powerful potential."—CLRVYNT