Six long years have passed since Novembers Doom released 2019’s Nephilim Grove, and here we are with yet another excellent opus, Major Arcana, out now via Prophecy Productions. There are a few bands where you know their next record will be excellent before hearing a single note, and Novembers Doom is one of them. As expected, this record not only celebrates 30 years since their 1995 debut, Amid Its Hallowed Mirth, but also shows how much they’ve transpired, reminding us that quality triumphs over quantity.
Composed like an ancient whiskey barrel discovered, filled with such richness, taste, and bold flavors, standing still, ready to pour out, it transcends you into musical oblivion. Sharp and raw, no added sugars or coating to take the natural pain away. Nothing is entirely smooth, as it showcases the woes of life most experience, and with age, realizing our mortality fades after each passing moment. Melancholy is shaped with artistic mastery, blending the sounds of death and doom into a near-perfect blend of styles. The order of each song and note was planted with purpose. Major Arcana is highly recommended to listen to from start to finish. Novembers Doom’s twelfth album draws inspiration from tarot and divination while blending their death-doom roots with progressive and atmospheric elements, a musical exploration of a wide range of emotions, from crushing heaviness to haunting melancholy.
“June” unfolds as a piano-led medley, serving as an introduction to sorrow, mystery, and unresolved tribulations. “Major Arcana,” the title track, opens with a catchy riff before descending into darker territories of fear, despair, and difficult choices. The lyrics mirror haunting reflections that we can all relate to, while the music blends progressive elements with death, doom, and melancholy. Echoing a bleak Devin Townsend style, the track’s melodies intertwine with the anguish of both clean and harsh vocals, radiating pain, judgment, and emotional unrest.
“Ravenous” starts raw, heavy, and angry, holding onto its intensity with a touch of mystery as the short but intricate guitar cuts in before erupting into a more death-doom style. Less progression and atmosphere than the prior, it’s a blistering, non-remorseful track. The highlight comes with an instrumental break and guitar solo, a well-needed pause from the constant intensity. “Mercy” slows with sadness; its lyrics, such as “cruelty of time, crumbling, destroying…,” remain powerful and haunting as vocals dominate the doomy, gloomy intro. It taps into subconscious fears and personal struggles, escalating with haunting medleys and whispers that feel like a dark, broken romance. A progressive interlude shifts the mood, carrying the tragic substances further.
“The Dance” flows naturally from “Mercy,” opening with an atmospheric, progressive build before erupting into a dark, catchy death/doom track. Heavy beats and fluid medleys keep it gripping, polished, and unmistakably Novembers Doom, growing progressively darker, a darkened tarot card. “The Fool” embodies its tarot namesake, new beginnings, risk, and uncertainty. Musically, it shifts uneasily before breaking into death metal aggression with harsh vocals. It captures the feeling of falling into ignorance, missing warning signs, and paying the price for trusting the wrong person.
“Bleed Static” opens with a fun, demonic intro before diving into darker, atmospheric, and progressive layers. It evolves into a classic doom track; the album’s longest track gives room for musical exploration. “Chatter” leans into a sludgy-doom style, carrying relentless intensity as the story unfolds. Midway, maniacal vocals shift the tone before a searing guitar solo erupts, pushing the album’s rhythm into fluctuating chaos, closing with a ruthless scream.
“Dusking Day” tones things down near the album’s close, opening with eerie atmospherics and light riffs that echo hopelessness. It soon crashes into heavier riffs, wrestling with pain and misery, before a guitar solo shifts the intensity once again. An obvious closing track, “XXII,” encapsulates the album in full. It’s a near-flawless conclusion that proves Novembers Doom are masters at translating human pain into thunderous riffs, raw emotion, and a powerful musical execution. A brilliant distillation of doom-death excellence from an underrated band that deserves far more recognition.
The new Novembers Doom album, Major Arcana, was released on September 19, 2025 via Prophecy Productions. Order here.
