NIGHT HAG “Great Dismal Darkness”

Rotted Life Records, October 16, 2026

Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Website: facebook.com/nighthagva
Duration: 42:25
Country: U.S.A.
Cool Songs: “Drowned in Death,” “Effluvia Tendrils,” “Strange Whispers from Beneath the Cypress”

Starting in 2010, Virginia’s Death/Doom Metal outfit, NIGHT HAG, released a series of short recordings before releasing their debut full-length album “Phantasmal Scourge” in 2022. The group have returned with their second full-length “Great Dismal Darkness.” The said album recalls doomed Death Metal bands such as AUTOPSY, INCANTATION and DISEMBOLWELMENT—a group the band covers at the end of the album.

“Drowned in Death” kicks off the album with a quick, noisy intro before Sam Fox comes in with a super fuzzed out bass line followed by a chaotic whammy bar sound on guitar. The guitar solos continue as blasting drums come into the mix. This track is one of the fastest tracks on the album, but if this track shows the group running, they eventually land in quicksand. Bending notes, crashing cymbals, caveman vocals and more conspicuous basslines accompany their trudging movements.

The AUTOPSY influence really comes to mind through guitar harmony on the second track “Effluvia Tendrils.” The mid-paced romp and guttural screams bring further comparisons. While the group finds a balance of fast Death Metal and slower, doomy notes, the following track “It Came Back the Next Night” wallows in tar-pitted misery. “Strange Whispers from Beneath the Cypress” contains buzz saw riffs and guttural growls that recall INCANTATION. These growls seem to gain torturous volume on the DISEMBOWELMENT cover “Excoriate.” Slow churning riffs, haunting guitar layers and a constant kick drum fit well with the group’s style, resulting in a good cover tune.

NIGHT HAG’s “Great Dismal Darkness” contains much of what listeners look for in the Death/Doom sub-genre. The vocals are superbly guttural but also reach higher pitch screams. While much of the album drones on, the group keeps things interesting by constructing and destructing riffs, varied vocals and drumming nuances. The isolated, crunchy bass tones are also of note. While not quite at the level of the bands mentioned in this review,  those bands will always remain supreme in the underground, “Great Dismal Darkness” is sure to find a place in the blackened hearts of this sub-genre.

Tracklist:
01. Drowned in Death
02. Effluvia Tendrils
03. It Came Back the Next Night
04. Staring Into the Ancient Chasm
05. Strange Whispers from Beneath the Cypress
06. The Terrible Old Woman
07. Excoriate (DISEMBOWELMENT Cover)

Line-up:
Sam Fox-Vocals/Bass
Jon Ransom-Drums/Vocals
Casey Williams-Guitars
Joe Arida-Guitars

Rate: 7.5/10