METALLIAN - Novembers Doom

Amid Its Hallowed Mirth – 1995 - Avantgarde
Of Sculptured Ivy And Stone Flowers – 1999 - Martyr
The Knowing – 2000 – Dark Symphonies
To Welcome The Fade – 2002 – Dark Symphonies
The Pale Haunt Departure – 2005 – The End
The Novella Reservoir – 2007 - The End
Into Night's Requiem Infernal – 2009 – The End
Aphotic – 2011 - The End
Bled White – 2014 – The End
Hamartia – 2017 - The End
Nephilim Grove – 2019 - Prophecy
Major Arcana - 2025 - Prophecy

Members

Vocals

Cathy Jo Hejna – Em Sinfonia, These Are They, Subterranean Masquerade, Earthen>>PAUL KUHR>>Em Sinfonia, These Are They, Subterranean Masquerade, Earthen

Guitar

These Are They>>Steve Nicholson>>These Are They – Shades Of Grey, Dead Serenade, Neurotoxin, The Kahless Clone>>LARRY ROBERTS>>The Kahless Clone – Avernus>>Eric Burnley>>Avernus - Divinity Compromised, Calling Zion, The Kahless Clone>>VITO MARCHESE>>Divinity Compromised, Calling Zion, The Kahless Clone

Bass

Steve Nicholson - Mythic, Derketa, Penance, Slag-9, Em Sinfonia>>Mary Bielich>>Derketa, Penance, Slag-9, Em Sinfonia, Behind Enemy Lines, Negative Theory, Negative 13 – Malevolence, Wrath, Intrepid Dissent, Jungle Rot>>Chris Wisco Djuricic – Arise, Eyegouger, Disinter>>Mike Le Gros>>Nachtmystium, Hells' Corpse, The Narthex, These Are They, Earthen, Metallian, Cold Bearded Killers – Subterranean Masquerade, Heaven & Hell, Havron, Degradation>>MIKE FELDMAN>>Subterranean Masquerade, Heaven & Hell, Havron, Degradation

Drum

Crematorium>>Joe Hernandez – Palace Terrace, These Are They, Trials>>Sasha Horn>>Palace Terrace, These Are They, Trials, Russian Girlfriends, Heathen, Year Of The Tyrant, Exhorder – Fleshold, Neurotoxin>>Joe Nunez – Kastasyde, Immortal Bird, Deadhand System, Wolvhammer, Bear Mace, Abigail Williams, Deadhand System, Black Sites, Wizzo, Hatemonger, Contrition, Wizzo, The Kahless Clone, Trouble>>GARRY NAPLES>>Immortal Bird, Deadhand System, Wolvhammer, Bear Mace, Abigail Williams, Deadhand System, Black Sites, Wizzo, Hatemonger, Contrition, The Kahless Clone, Trouble

Keyboard

Ben Johnson>>Divinity Compromised, The Kahless Clone

History & Biography

This doom metal act was active as Laceration beginning 1989 for three years before picking up its new monicker. Laceration had a thrashy sound. Kuhr has been the band’s mainstay. He could not play at Minneapolis Mayhem Fest in 2005 and was replaced by Mr. Roberts. The group went through several labels before finding a home with The End Records. The debut featured two vocalists, Paul and Cathy. Sasha Horn was in the band in 1999, left and was again in service from 2008 to 2011. The act toured with The Gathering in 2004. A European tour with Agalloch and Saturnus came in 2006. The band released its first live DVD, The Novella Vosselaar: Live In Belgium, on August 5th 2008, through The End Records. The band was touring North America and Europe. The group was at Belle City Sound recording its seventh full-length CD, Into Night's Requiem Infernal. Tracking duties were handled by Chris Djuricic (engineer and band bassist) while Dan Swano at Unisound handled the mixing of the disc. Aphotic had the band include a full-time piano man. The group was supposed to tour with Rotting Christ, but was superseded by Mantic Ritual. The band lost drummer Sasha Horn ostensibly because he lived far away. Any candidates were invited to contact the band through drummer@novembersdoom.com. The band was in the studio recording its next studio album in late 2016, which was due through The End Records in 2017. The band’s producer was Chris Djuricic. A 2020 tour of Australia and New Zealand was cancelled. Germany’s Prophecy Fest booked the band in 2023. Trouble recruited Garry Naples as its drummer in 2024. Novembers Doom had opened for Trouble at Heavy Chicago Fest in 2023.

Novembers Doom uploaded an advance song called Major Arcana in 2025. It was the title-track to the forthcoming 2025 album. Singer Paul Kuhr was heard on Falling Leaves' demo The Silence That Binds Us in 2025.

The act issued a book on its lyrics called The Wayfaring Chronicles. Kuhr penned it for a 2006 release. The book became an application.

Reviews

NOVEMBERS DOOM - THE PALE HAUNT DEPARTURE - THE END
No one can dispute the profound influence My Dying Bride has had on America's Novembers Doom. Every song on the album sounds like they are vocalist Paul Kuhr's last will and testament put to the sound of crackling doom. Be it growled or sung cleanly (of which this album has a lot), the track listing is one lone dismal dirge to the realities of existentialism. The songs are either MDB or PF (Pink Floyd if you have to know) and the compositions are written in solid and fluid fashion. The band has even unthawed Dan Swanö long enough to have the Swede mix The Pale Haunt Departure. The plot thickens.
Novembers Doom has a solid album on its hands. The Pale Haunt Departure has the songs, lyrics and artwork to compete with anything else in its forsaken sub-genre. Many metal fans do not favour this style, but those who do can either begin by buying this album or just skip step one and kill themselves straightaway. - Ali "The Metallian"

NOVEMBERS DOOM - THE NOVELLA RESERVOIR - THE END
Perhaps it would have been an obvious choice to give a Novembers Doom album as a present to a doom metal fan and expect him to love it. That is not the case any longer. While a doom fan might completely appreciate the band The Novella Reservoir is high on testosterone. The speed and heaviness quotient have gone way up and Paul Kuhr’s vocals, when growling, are as convincing and heavy as any other death metal growler out there. Opener rain matches the power of early Paradise Lost or Gorefest.
To be clear, there is some doom to be consumed on this album as well as mega doses of gothic vocals, which are sometimes not unlike Opeth or early Anathema. The album’s obligatory slow song, entitled Twilight Innocence, on the other hand sounds like The Animals. Nevertheless, the clear production aids the heavier aspects of the band, which alongside the interesting title and cover artwork makes he Chicago quintet’s sixth album remarkable. I am sorry I sat on this review for months. The album is really better than anticipated. - Anna Tergel

NOVEMBERS DOOM - INTO NIGHT’S REQUIEM INFERNAL - THE END
Long revered, Chicago’s Novembers Doom is a perfect representation of its namesake: the group is ominous, bleak and, unquestionably, some of the best My Dying Bride-inspired doom being recorded. What elevates Novembers Doom from its peers is its top-tier song-writing, the songs here (and in the group’s entire catalogue) exceptionally executed: it’s a travesty that Novembers Doom’s fanbase isn’t double or tripe in size. What’s also a real positive is Novembers Doom refusal to simply stay boxed into the doom sub-genre; there’s a fair amount of high-energy, straight-ahead metal to be found on this record, though it definitely falls squarely on the darker side. This is a band doing impressive things, and Into Night’s Requiem Infernal is well worth looking into. - David Perri

Interviews

Novembers Doom