10 Incredible New Pioneers Of Old-School Metal

10. Doom Metal - Wretch

Doom is arguably one of the oldest forms of metal, with roots dating all the way back to Black Sabbath's 1969 self-titled debut. And, since then, it has become a more and more complex affair, crafting longer and longer songs with slower and slower musicianship, to the point where only the most patient of metalheads can love some of what modern doom metal is providing.

However, British upstarts Wretch are bringing their genre back to its roots, inclining more to the good ol' days of Sabbath, Pentagram and Saint Vitus. Because of this, frontman Karl Simon and co. have created a truly underrated slice of gorgeous, emotive, depressive rock with their self-titled debut album (2016).

A big part of Wretch's immensely dark aura can be attributed to the real-life tragedy that went into the band's formation, as Simon was reeling from the death of close-friend-turned-bandmate Jason McCash, who passed away in 2014. Because of this, Wretch adds a genuinely emotional and raw element to the doom metal realm: one that it has been very sorely lacking for a very long while.

The Wretch album is a story of loss and remembrance that feels as heavily tonally as it does musically. And such is the key to crafting truly perfect, despondent doom.