Black holes have always been a fascinating topic, at least to me. They are powerful constructs that seem to have the ability to suck away everything in their path, even light, holding it all in a natural maximum security prison with no possibility of escape. A lesser known but related topic is the hypothetical construct known as a holeum, which in theory is made up of micro black holes and exhibits properties similar to cold dark matter. I don’t know about you, but for me, a series of micro black holes sounds simultaneously cool and terrifying and imbues a dark, moody, eerie identity. The concept of a holeum is befitting a band entrenched in the darker moodier shades of doom and post metal.

Enter Spanish doom / post metal band The Holeum, who released their third full length in March, and first since 2019, entitled “Ensis.” Moody, temperamental, dynamic, and dark: these are just a few words that come to mind when I think about the soundscapes the band creates. The Holeum thrives on tension, weaving it into the very core of each song. Leveraging stark dynamic contrast is a common theme, eerie melodies and haunting atmosphere clashing against thunderous distorted walls of sound. For every softer section featuring varied textures like flowing post rock guitar over driving bass lines, moody post metal, or darker goth textures, there is a juxtaposition of crushing doom or sinister blackened riffs and raging drums. The vocals lean harsh with an emotive, torturous delivery, at times reminding me of Marianas Rest, serving as a sharp dichotomy to the less prevalent but effectively used cleans that are rich and impassioned. You won’t find complex or lengthy virtuoso style guitar solos, but the lead work is plentiful and crucial to the band’s sound. When solos do appear, they are smooth and restrained. But the movement doesn’t stop with the solos, the post rock roots contributing smooth moving leadwork while the blackened influences bring in tremolo picking. Even the more doom-like sections are rarely bland from a melody standpoint and feature moving parts, keeping the music interesting and engaging. The 7 songs here feature a good bit of variety while maintaining the moody vibe, with a natural cohesive flow from start to finish.

“The Fermi Paradox” kicks things off with an eerie guitar riff sweltering post rock atmosphere, slowly building over the course of 75 seconds until distortion and tormented vocals attack your cochlea while maintaining the same riff. The second run of soft and harsh is reminiscent of a call and echo pattern, though the softer passage mixes things up a bit before returning to the same distorted harsh passage with vocals. A guitar solo changes the pace, setting up cool layered cleans and a more emotive delivery over post rock melodies. The song closes out with the intro riff one final time, tortured vocals encompassed by atmosphere for added effect.

“Cosmic Void Spheres” continues the atmospheric feel, with a blackened doomy vibe built on a post rock foundation. The band does a great job alternating softer melodies with an encompassing wall of sound, utilizing dynamic shifts to evoke moodiness. This extends to the chorus, which approaches earworm territory, triumphant and heartfelt in its infectious melody. After a second chorus refrain, the song calms and slows, melding shoegaze and post rock elements and allowing the bass to drive the rhythms while the guitars execute deft flurries. A wall of distortion briefly invades the atmosphere, accompanied by sick vocals, only to yield back to the chorus. The song closes out with a cool guitar lead bathed in atmosphere, with some nice drum fills enroute to the finish line.

“Macrocosm + Microcosm” is a personal favorite and also the longest on the album, emanating smooth post rock melodies as it begins before cranking things up. As it throttles up, I am immediately reminded of Marianas Rest, with its doom-laced melodies and harsh yet emotional vocal approach. The melodies are very guitar lead driven in a more laid back, post metal fashion, while drums thunder underneath in a deliberate doom plod. The vocals balance more subdued, goth-like cleans with the blackened growls, imbuing passion in their delivery that echoes the feel of the underlying instruments. This song is a clinic for balancing opposing forces, a musical journey fully of infectious melodies, stark dynamic shifts, and face melting heaviness. It is easily a standout.

“Spontaneous Synchronization” hearkens back to the opening track with its starting haunting guitar riff, then rips your head off as it opens up into a sinister sounding black metal riff in a doom scaffolding, again reminding me of Marianas Rest to some extent. This is one of the more consistently heavy songs on the album with its crushing chugs, but it doesn’t forget its moody identity in making great use of dynamic contrast. Two thirds of the way through it takes an almost surprising turn, pivoting to goth with an indie rock feel, perhaps like a melding of At the End of the Ocean with The Foreshadowing. Also of note is the inclusion of trumpet, lurking in the shadows as a cool support instrument adding additional texture. With 40 seconds left the song quickly builds back to the heavy doom feel, the moving guitar melodies providing a sense of urgency as it ends.

“Hyperdimensional Physics” sprints out of the gate in blackened fury, only to settle down into a gothic death doom cadence, juxtaposing tortured harsh vocals with eerie spoken word like passages. A brief musical interlude just past the midpoint bathes you in moody atmosphere and ethereal guitar melodies, building into a dark wall of sound featuring harsh vocals. This transitions into flowy guitar leads and goth-tinged cleans as the song closes out.

“Esoteric Futuristic Visions” leans a bit more into post black metal and is probably the heaviest song start to finish on the album. The darker feel of the riffing exemplifies this moody temperamental vibe, and it is really the only song on the album that doesn’t meander much across dynamics. Instead, it relies on sinister blackened riffs and raging drums to set the tone as it transitions across various passages. The middle section has a cool noodley guitar lead, a rarity on the album, changing the pace and driving some urgency before transitioning into chugging riffs and thunderous drums. A second more restrained guitar lead impresses before moving back into sinister territory, haunting tremolo picking creating atmosphere as the tormented vocals passionately wail to the end.

Closer “Geometric Congruence Vortex” starts with a long indie rock intro, then maintains this vibe as eerie vocoded vocals are layered over the top. The chorus features impassioned harsh vocals over a simple but catchy guitar melody that feels majestic and anthemic, reminding me of early 2000’s indie rock at its best, just more aggressive in nature. After the second chorus, this same guitar melody goes solo, amping up in passion, leading to the emotive final salvo. It is a pretty amazing ending song, bringing the moodiness, great melodies, and impassioned aggression together in perfect harmony.

I wasn’t familiar at all with this band prior to discovering this release, and this album has become a favorite upon many repeated listens. Its moody blend of doom and post metal is intoxicating, and it comes highly recommended.