A lot of bands try to blend doom metal and black metal, to strike that happy medium between epic crush and blistering blaze, but few do it as well as Europe’s Lychgate. The band has got the dual guttural-growl/high-rasp vocal assault, can go from a relative crawl to an all-out blast in no time flat, and make music as weighty as it is rich in majestic atmosphere. Throw in a few gothic accents and you’re looking at something special. Lychgate has been been around — at least in spirit — for over a decade, initially as a solo project helmed by Vortigern (of the One) and later as the four-piece they are today, sort of a supergroup featuring G.A. Chandler (of Esoteric), Aran (Lunar Aurora), and T.J.F. Vallely (Omega Centauri) alongside Vortigern. Their self-titled debut is being released by Wisconsin’s Gilead Media and the cult UK label Mordgrimm, a veritable treasure trove of obscure black and doom metal — I’d recommend checking out both labels out if you’re into metal that skews underground. Listen to “Dust Of A Gun Barrel,” one of Lychgate’s highlights.

Lychgate is out on CD via Mordgrimm, and a limited-edition vinyl will be released via Gilead Media (and ship on 6/15). Pre-order here.