Passage started out as a duo, playing a mournful, epic sounding style of Trad doom, comparable to bands like While Heaven Wept. A fair amount of t... (read more)
The style emerged in the late 1980s when bands started to combine the apocalyptic and/or dismal feel of Doom Metal and its slow tempo with the downtuned guitars and harsh vocals of Death Metal. The music is usually very intense and crushing, conveying emotions of frustration and desperation which can occasionally culminate in outbursts of speed including blastbeats. There are quite different varieties of the style, ranging from melodic and atmospheric approaches to very extreme examples bordering on Funeral Doom.