Smoke // Doomsday Profit Split (Review)

Drawing from the murky wells of Southern sludge metal and dark psychedelia, the split release builds on the promise of both bands’ early efforts with an increasingly exploratory approach to doom, heavy psych, and sludge. As you’ll see, the split is heavier and spacier than the releases preceding it.

The strains of doom, stoner rock, and good ‘ole Southern metal that course through the veins of this split should appeal to fans of acts as disparate as All Them Witches and Buzzov-en. And with the spooky season upon us, now’s as good a time as ever to delve into the dark visions these bands provide.

Some more context about these groups is in order …

North Carolina acid-sludge heads Doomsday Profit offer foreboding visions flooding with snarling psychedelic grit and deep-fried sludge riffs. The band’s 2021 debut LP, In Idle Orbit, earned praise from the metal underground, with one blog calling the group “one of the future greats in doom metal.”

Eager to fulfill the promise of their impressive studio work, Doomsday Profit has played shows throughout the U.S. Southeast, traveling through darkened woods and swamp-land to perform alongside acts like REZN, Restless Spirit, Year of the Cobra, Cosmic Reaper, and Bongzilla.

Smoke released their debut LP, Groupthink, in 2022, which hit No. 65 on the Doom Charts Top 100 Albums of 2022 (which is no small feat).

The first side of the split starts with Smoke’s “Appalachian Black Magic,” which we’re guessing they know a few things about. We trek down to the holler with the group as the song starts slow and atmospherically, with one muddy boot planted firmly in the bluesy swamp rock traditions of their forebears and the other twisted into something darker and more haunting.

Eventually, we get a burst of thick, fuzzed-out guitar that snakes through the mix like tendrils of mist while the rhythm section builds a monolithic foundation with a gritty, moonshine-soaked vibe. The vocals are urgent, spectral, and echo-laden, like some crazed preacher delivering a hell-fire sermon from a mountaintop.

On “Scavenger,” we’re traveling further into the Virginian woods. Be careful: the rules of Appalachia say don’t stay out at night and stare into the trees – lest the night creatures catch you. The massive, stoner-rock riffs rumble through the track and seem to shake the very ground. We’re led down the winding roads of a backwoods nightmare on an acid trip, and we’re not done yet.

“Hellish Rebuke” is the last track on Smoke’s side of the split. The fuzzy, overdriven guitars are layered with a creeping sense of unease, as if the landscape conspires against us. The band captures the unique Southern Gothic dread and takes it to the very limit. The softer touches of the track hide something more sinister—like an ancient curse lying dormant.

When we flip over to Doomsday Profit’s split side, we’re dragged into the murky, suffocating depths from the first track. “No Salvation” is as ominous as the track title sounds.

“I Am Your God” comes next, an even more devious song. There’s a slow, creeping dread as the repetition of the vocals allows the music to drift into a dark, meditative state before yanking us back with the thunderous riffs. Listening to these songs feels like wandering through a fog-filled cypress grove, not knowing if you’re seeing twisted branches or the restless spirits of the South.

“Void Ritual” ends the split but promises eternal punishment in the world beyond, as if Doomsday Profit is telling us, “Yes, enjoy the music, but we’re letting you know that you’re doomed like the rest of us.” As the song unfolds, the growling vocals mesmerized me, and the music drifts into a hypnotic instrumental jam that feels both vast and claustrophobic, like the endless woods pressing on a crumbling, forsaken antebellum mansion.

The new Smoke // Doomsday Profit Split is a journey through the decaying heart of the American South, where the unbearable weight of history hangs heavy, and the air is thick with superstition.

Both bands’ deep understanding of Southern Gothic tradition, mastery of doom metal’s crushing weight, and heavy psychedelia’s mind-expanding potential make this split a unique offering for your Halloween rituals. Wade into the darkness with this new album, knowing full well that there may be no return.