Nuanced Doom

To the casual observer it might appear that, in 2015, every metal band in the known world is a doom metal band. To be fair, fans of the genre might share a similar impression. Doom is undergoing something of a revival, finally becoming as huge now as the Black Sabbaths and Saint Vituses (Vitae?) that spawned it.

Enter Austin axemen Destroyer of Light. Though obviously not out to reinvent the wheel, these Texas metalheads damn well make it their own.

“We try not to just be a doom band,” guitarist and vocalist Steve Colca says. “We like to throw in some other nuances to kind of mix it up. We also like N.W.O.B.H.M. (new wave of British heavy metal), thrash and death metal. We leave it up to the listener to be the judge. We don’t just wanna be doom.”

Those exact influences shine throughout Destroyer of Light’s self-titled 2012 debut. Over the course of the album, the four-piece trudges from Candlemass into Mercyful Fate territory — all the while never straying so far as to lose the interest of recent converts to the genre. Continuing to hone and tighten their sound, Destroyer recently recorded Endsville, a 12-inch split single with Tucson, Arizona-based sludge monsters Godhunter, to be released this July on Battleground Records.

Until then, we’ll have to whet our appetites when they grace our fair city.

Destroyer Of Light plays with Austin stoner brethren Greenbeard 10 pm Thursday, May 21, at Black Forest; FREE.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!