Diaries of Doom

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the sad day on which the metal world lost a true legend: Ronnie James Dio. His trademark voice and fantasy lyrics have left a lasting impression on the Metal community and have influenced countless metal musicians. To pay tribute to a true icon, Ben and Matt have come up with a list of the Top 20 Dio Classics:  20. The Last in Line Dio goes into epic territory for The Last in Line, an incredibly well-executed semi-ballad. The title track from his sophomore album, it curiously won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance 31 years later when Tenacious D covered it. MN 19.   Starstruck If you’re aware of the performance of this song from Dio’s 1983 set at Donnington, you’ll know exactly why I had to include it. If you’re not aware, best you watch the video below... BP 18.   Long Live Rock'n'Roll Well said, sir! Have a place in this list. 17. Double the Pain Is this the heaviest riff fr...

If you’re anything like me at the moment, you’re finding yourself with a wealth of time on your hands and precious little to fill it with. Discovering new music to immerse yourself in during lockdown is a great way to take your mind off of what a mess the world is in right now and Diaries of Doom are here to help you do just that! Finding great new Rock to bang your head to does not always have to involve being up-to-date with trends at the cutting edge of the scene: sometimes it’s equally rewarding to look to the past and dig up some gems from the vast vaults of Classic Rock. To help you out with some sifting, DoD’s 'Friendly Neighbourhood Classic Rock Addict' has come up with three underrated albums that you should definitely know about if you don’t already! Let the Classic Rockdown (funny, aren't I?) begin... Mountain - Climbing (1970) Sure, everyone knows Mississippi Queen (even if it is only because they’ve played Guitar hero 3). Granted, it's possibly my ...

Don’t get me wrong: I loved the latest Tool album as much as the next crazed devotee. I loved the expansive song structures and their masterful control of dynamics, using their sizable riffs to bowl you over at the right moment rather than continuously punch you in the face. What I did miss sorely, however, was the immediacy that their most unforgettable moments had: the ability to condense intricate, technical and progressive songwriting into the smallest possible space, creating masterpieces like Schism, Jambi and Stinkfist that were simultaneously challenging and accessible. As good as it was, Fear Innoculum was lacking in that.  Many of my friends and fellow metal aficionados share the same frustration, as I’m sure that one or two of our readers do too. To you, my friends, I say Fear In’not’ulum (see what I did there…?), for out of the depths of the music underground on the Costa del Mersey, a new beast has been not-so-quietly gorging itself on the wisdom of Mr. Keena...

On this day in 2019... Mandalorian  played a headline set at the Flapper.  Voidlurker  and  King Corpse  were also on the bill. I spoke to all three bands and made this little documentary of the evening, and Diaries of Doom was born! It's still one of our most popular videos on the channel.  Since then, we've had over 7,500 channel views, built up a slow but steady social media presence, and made a ton of new friends on the ride. To all my fellow music lovers who've been a part of this in any way whatsoever... Thank you.  A lot has come from this for me personally that I didn't and couldn't predict in any way, and for that I am grateful. Ben, who's actually in the above video, officially joined DoD three months ago. We were hoping to be at Desertfest London celebrating the channel's anniversary over this weekend, but for obvious reasons, that's not on now. Maybe next year? Here's to the next twelve months! I only remem...

It's been a weird month. No gigs and I've barely left the village I grew up in for weeks apart from the occasional beer run. Can't remember what cities actually look like, if I'm honest. At least it's been nice and sunny and I've time to get better at my guitar. Regardless, there's still some amazing releases being churned out. Beggar - Compelled to Repeat (extreme/sludge metal) - APF Records Jesus Christ. I think this is the filthiest record I've heard in a long time. It's ugly and sludgy, but hooks you in with just how god damned extreme it is as well. A good example of that is right in the first few seconds of album, when the deranged, fuzzy chords of 'Blood Moon' ring out and then the drummer starts blasting away for a few bars, as if to say 'ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?' while hitting you in the face with a spade. It's pretty hard to not pay attention while listening to this album, or get that sense of impending mise...