Pallbearer’s debut full-length, Sorrow
and Extinction, impressed many upon its release with its utterly sincere take
on traditional doom metal. It combined the core elements of Black Sabbath with
the drama of Candlemass and the snail-paced crawl of funeral doom such as
Evoken. It resulted in a very likable and worthwhile release that had many
metalheads, young and old, raising their horns in approval, rocking out to the
album’s wall of guitar sludge and soaring lead lines. Foundations of Burden,
their latest offering, was met with even more acclaim from fans and critics
than its predecessor, with Decibel in particular calling it a “goddamn
masterpiece” and naming it Album of the Year. However, The Needle Drop
criticized it for its lack of contrast and gave it a mere 5 out of 10.
