Review by Norbert on June 16, 2026.

If anyone still believes that doom metal must mean an hour of monotonous riffs dragging on like a Monday morning line at a government office, then Godthrymm have just delivered a proper death certificate to that stereotype. Projections — the British band’s third album, released last Friday and the final chapter in the Visions trilogy that began in 2020 — finds the band in the strongest form of their career. It is heavier, more diverse, and more adventurous than Reflections and Distortions, while never losing sight of what matters most in doom: emotion.

Crushing, almost suffocating riffs colliding with unexpected bursts of aggression, a doom avalanche suddenly transforming into a near-thrash gallop — that is what the opening track ‘Trenched Deep’ is all about. It is one of those songs that sounds like someone threw Black Sabbath into a concrete mixer and added a few kilograms of modern-day anger. And the album keeps hitting with that same intensity from beginning to end.

The greatest strength of Projections is its ability to balance weight with atmosphere. ‘Truth In My Eye’ and ‘The Sun Never Fell’ showcase a band that understands that heaviness alone is not enough. Every melody has a purpose, every tempo change serves to build tension, and the dialogue between Hamish Glencross’ voice and Catherine Glencross’ ethereal vocal parts gives the music additional depth. These are not merely songs — they are small journeys through darkness, melancholy, and a considerable dose of existential weight.

‘The Sun Never Fell’ in particular proves that even in a genre so deeply rooted in tradition, there is still room for fresh ideas. The song begins almost like a ballad before evolving into a classic doom juggernaut, showing that rules exist to be bent rather than blindly followed.

The album reaches its peak with the nine-minute-plus ‘Endure My Skin’. Monumental, overwhelming, and hellishly emotional, the track demonstrates just how many faces modern doom metal can wear. Aaron Stainthorpe’s guest appearance adds even more gravitas, but the song would stand strong even without his contribution. The slow, crushing pace makes every note strike the listener like another nail driven into a coffin, yet the track never becomes tiresome.

‘Jewels’ proves that Godthrymm can slow things down even further and reveal a more vulnerable side of their songwriting. Piano, more delicate arrangements, and Catherine’s gentle vocals create an almost ballad-like atmosphere, though the band’s characteristic shadow of unease still hangs over everything. Even when Godthrymm attempt to offer the listener a little light, they do so as if someone in the background is extinguishing the final candle.

The album closes with ‘Hope Is Eternal’ — a title that suggests a glimmer of optimism, but the music quickly reminds us that we are dealing with a doom metal band. Massive bass, excellent work from the rhythm section, and moments of almost death metal aggression ensure the finale lands with the appropriate force and leaves the listener feeling as though they have experienced something much greater than merely a collection of six songs.

Godthrymm do not attempt to revolutionise the genre. Instead, they subtly bend its rules by adding progressive elements, keyboards, female vocals, and more aggressive passages, all without ever losing their identity. Projections remains unquestionably a doom metal album, but one that is not afraid to look beyond the walls of its own coffin.

If you grew up on the holy trinity of British doom metal — Anathema, My Dying Bride, and Paradise Lost — Projections will find its way into your heart faster than another anniversary reissue of "Turn Loose the Swans". Godthrymm are not trying to resurrect the 1990s or act as a cover band for their own influences. Instead, they take everything that made that era great, throw it into one cauldron, and stir it long enough for something fresh, heavy, and, above all, uniquely their own to emerge. This is not a museum piece of doom — it is a living, breathing, and exceptionally well-fed beast.

It is the shortest album in Godthrymm’s discography, yet also the most complete. The band have found the perfect balance between tradition and progression, heaviness and melody, despair and hope. If the previous parts of the trilogy were a promise, then Projections is its fulfilment. And if this is how one chapter ends, it is both frightening and incredibly exciting to imagine what the British band will come up with next.

Rating: 9 out of 10