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There's nothing more exciting that witnessing a band grow from an unknown to popularity. Such is the case with Black Pyramid. About four years ago, I had the privilege of being wowed by these guys when they played my friend's barbecue. In the last year, they've had a spot on Roadburn and toured across Europe. Watching a band rise is truly a grand sight, especially for such a deserving one.

While many doom enthusiasts praise the band (and rightly so), there's much more going on here than straight stoner doom. Black Pyramid specialize in combining wall of sound, bombastic heaviness with precise melodies steeped in emotion. Their riff style is one of a downtuned menace, constantly moving and altering between moods. Quiet parts of songs like "Mirror Messiah" showcase the bands ability for solemnity while in the brilliant opening to "Wintermute," Andy Beresky's pained murmur slowly builds into his trademark coarse howl, provoking helplessness and desperation. But the band's emotional potency isn't sacrificed even at their heaviest. The pummeling doomy riffs carry just as much emotional weight as any other part of the music.

But whatever pace Black Pyramid's self-titled album is at, there's an omnipresent pulse and vigor. It carries an unquestionable driving edginess to their music, unlike the groovy calmness of most stoner doom. Black Pyramid certainly have the groove, but it's an added part of their sound. Think of Houdini-era Melvins, and how they brought an unmistakable pulsing anger to their music, but at the same time maintained a constant groove that elicited an array of feelings in the listener. Sure, Black Pyramid don't push the envelope in the same way they did, but the parallels here are undeniable.

Black Pyramid's debut full-length is a slab of Doom made for the long-running, devout metal fan. The hipster fans of the genre might rejoice, but that isn't who this record is for. Eat up, doomsters.