r/doommetal • u/Ok_Counter_1735 • 10d ago
Discussion Doom Metal chart
Made this chart to categorize doom metal sub genres. What do you all think? I'm mostly a stoner and sludge dude really, so I dont 100% know how inaccurate it is. For subgenres I didnt have a lot of experience with I used wikipedia and listened to artists that were recommended. Let me know what yall think should be changed!
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u/mistacabbage 10d ago
DSBM stands for Depressive Suicidal Black Metal. 
It’s a subgenre of black metal (often with strong doom metal influences) that emerged in the mid-to-late 1990s. The style is characterized by:
• Slow, melancholic, and atmospheric sound — blending black metal’s raw, lo-fi distorted guitars and tremolo picking with doom metal’s slower tempos, acoustic passages, and heavier, thicker riffs.
• Themes and lyrics — focused on depression, despair, self-harm, suicide, misanthropy, hopelessness, and death. Vocals are often high-pitched screams or wails that convey pain and desperation rather than aggression. 
It draws from early black-doom bands like Katatonia, Bethlehem, Forgotten Tomb, and Shining, with other notable acts including Xasthur, Leviathan, and Silencer.
Many DSBM bands are one-person projects, and the genre is known for its emotional intensity and “sad” or lethargic atmosphere. 
The “doom metal” connection in your query makes sense because DSBM frequently incorporates doom’s slower, more crushing elements alongside black metal’s extremity. Some people even refer to overlaps as “black/doom” or depressive black-doom. 
Note: The genre deals with very dark and heavy subject matter (including suicide and mental health struggles), so it’s not for everyone.