RIFF REWIND (18/07/2013): On Pain of Death - "Year Naught Doom"

Formed in the boggiest of the boggy depths of Irelandin March '08, On Pain of Death play slow and twisted doom/sludge metal. The band played their first gig in June '08 and recorded their self-titled first demo over that same weekend and the next in Oaks Recording, Enniskillen, NI.

The band continued to play throughout the Summer and returned to Oaks at the end of September to record their next E...P which features one slab of degrading filth called "Rotting in a Tomb of Depravity". Not happy with the outcome of the recorded EP, OPoD decided to shelf the release with an intention to rework and re-record the track for a future release. A cover version of the Sepulturatrack “Troops of Doom” was recorded and released on vinyl by Blind date Records in December '09. The release featured bands such as Moloch, Thou, Aguirre, Loss and Hey Colossus all doing doomed out covers.

In the latter half of 2010 early 2011 OPoDrecorded their first album entitled "Year Naught Doom". With Handshake Inc. on board "Year Naught Doom" was released as a free download in late 2012 and subsequently released on tape in the summer of 2013 by Dry Cough Records and on LP via Sentinel Records.  Still considered an active band, but yet to release any new material for 5 years, I feel it is time to remind you all just how disgustingly bleak this album was and perhaps reignite the spark within the band to follow up this stunning record. 

Today we are rewinding the riffs back 4 years to the day in order present “Year Naught Doom”. So if you missed it the first time, be sure to remedy your error by checking out our review in full below. 

By: Matt Fitton

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released:3/7/2013

Label: Dry Cough Records (Tape) |

Sentinel Records (LP)



A mind melting and deeply intoxicating injection of Sludge and Doom, You'll need to watch Disney films for a week straight afterwards just to recover from the whole damned thing. Highly recommended.

“Year Naught Doom” CS//DD track listing:

1). Year Naught Doom (11:28)

2). Tell Your God to Be Ready For Blood (13:14)

3). It Came From the Bog (17:42)

The Review:

Ireland can kick out some noise when it wants to (see: Slomatics), and some of its filthiest noise in recent years has been produced by Sludge / Doom dealers On Pain of Death. Their current opus of depraved sick riffery is 'Year Naught Doom'. It saw a vinyl release at the tail end of 2012, but is being released on tape by the mighty Dry Cough. So let's get into it, shall we?

What you get for your cash here is 3 tracks of complete Doom horror to sink your fangs into, or whatever else you might be sporting. 42 minutes of harrowing sounds to wake the dead, and probably drive the living insane.

First track shares the album title and commences this ritual with suitably slow tendencies. Soaked in atmosphere and the potential for menace, it'd probably burst into flames if it walked into direct sunlight. It rolls on at an ominous pace, heavy as hell and full of feel. The low end that this band has is thick and syrupy, just the way I like it. The riffs are droning and the drumming pounds more like a curse is being banged into existence. If you listened to this enough it might give you an infection of some kind. It's sick, in a beautiful way.

'Tell Your God to Ready For Blood' is even more destructively slow and torturous. You constantly get the feeling that something very bad is about to happen, and when it kicks in even only slightly, the effect will still produce permanent damage in your ears if played too loud. The vocals are hissing and delivered with absolute venom. They'll haunt you. By the end it's so heavy that the cup on my desk nearly went all Jurassic Park.

The album rounds out with nearly 18 minutes of 'It Came From The Bog'. I can only imagine that the 'it' in question is the sound that this band commits to murderous tape. Like the death throes of an ancient being, heard across time and space and recorded in Ireland. It's really good!

Slow, winding and intense, it's an experience that your ears will beg you to cease, and your dark heart will implore you to let continue. The feedback at the end will rupture your arteries.

I seriously advise that you get this latest offering from On Pain of Death however you can. A mind melting and deeply intoxicating injection of Sludge and Doom, weighing in more heavily on the latter. You'll need to watch Disney films for a week straight afterwards just to recover from the whole damned thing. Highly recommend

Band info: Facebook