GIG REVIEW: Doom Over Birmingham, 16th March 2025

Ascendancy Promotions bought Doom Over Birmingham to the Midlands in March, setting a murky atmosphere over The Flapper with a varied lineup that had much to offer for fans of the low and slow. Drawing an impressive crowd in Birmingham as the clear result of hard work promoting the show, the room is full of people very early on in the evening, with the whole event genuinely feeling like the place to be for supporters of underground live music.

After openers Suffering, my first band of the night was Tumanduumband, who I've seen many times over the years. Flanked by corpses onstage and with a Satanic aesthetic, they get heads nodding away in rhythm with their dark, hazy doom metal. With setlist staples like Throne Of Grief and Dread Lord shaking the venue's foundations, they know how to use the simple power of the riff to devastating effect, using just a bass guitar and a drum kit to deconstruct doom down to its very core. They're followed by the elegant, dramatic funeral doom of Pantheist, whose thick instrumental tones lull the crowd into a trance for half an hour. Operatic soprano vocals bring a sense of grace to the set, contrasting nicely with the baritone cleans and harsher roars from Kostas, who also provides piano layers. The measured, deliberate drumming and subtle shifts in tempo keep the rhythm section under tight control, and from falling too deep into the abyss. Much like Tumanduumband, it's a real experience, but much more ethereal and other-worldly.

Plymouth's Warcrab offer something completely different, with a pummelling crossover of death metal and sludge to force a sea of heads banging along to their heavy grooves and killer riffs. With ripping leads and intense drumming, it's everything you could ask for in a heavy metal party atmosphere, but there are also plenty of musically interesting, melodic undercurrents you can get lost in. They have a dense instrumental sound that frontman Martyn confidently leads with larynx-shredding growls and great presence. Loads of fun!

Goblinsmoker - Smoked In Darkness (live at Doom Over Birmingham)

Goblinsmoker, here all the way from Newcastle, arguably go on to steal the show by simply doing what they do best. There are many bands in the UK doing something similar to Goblinsmoker, but there is something about the conviction of their riffs and sheer power that stands them head and shoulders above their peers. Tracks like Toad King and Smoked in Darkness impress well and get the desired reaction from the audience, with frontman Adam clearly put into a good mood by the response of the busy crowd (also possibly down to Newcastle winning the League Cup a couple of hours before their set). Worship Him.

Esoteric headline with their first Birmingham show in almost 15 years. Masters of atmosphere and control, their take on doom is mystical, epic and expansive, though with a gritty edge that makes use of guttural vocals. Offering a very dense wall of sound with three electric guitars in the mix, they utilise feedback and trippy yet ominous effects to put a chokehold on the crowd for their time in the spotlight. The chord changes are mournful, the cleaner sections feel meditative, and they do a lot to illustrate a setlist that's effectively full of emotion through music. Tonight feels like a real rarity, despite Esoteric being a Birmingham band. If you're interested in funeral doom music and you have the chance to experience this band, to stay home really would be a missed opportunity.

MN