VI.BE

Columbarium is a Belgian (from the village of Zwevegem) heavy Doom band which found its birth midst 2021, but was conceived of

seasoned members from the doomscene since over ten years. Having played over a 100 gigs in a former setup and being Columbarium in

Belgium, the Netherlands and France with bands like Batushka, God Dethroned, Memoriam, Hideous Divinity, Entrails, The Gates Of

Slumber, Nekromant, Marche Funèbre, Serpent Venom, FAAL … and at fests like Little Devil Doom Days etc., they have built a serious

reputation as a live act in the last decade. The addition of an extra guitar/keyboard player years ago (Koen Biesbrouck, formerly also from

the avant-garde, instrumental band Locus Control) has taken the music to another horizon and that newfound sound of the band was the

cradle for the bands rebirth in 2021. Columbarium found that sound in engaging with Belgian producer Lander Cluyse from Hearse Studio

(Amenra, Aborted …) and with Brad Boatright from AudioSiege Mastering Studio (US/Portland who worked with the likes of Monolord and

Pigdestroyer …). Together they found the sound they have always dug for in the Flemish clay. Columbarium played their first gig at the end

of September 2021 with brothers in arms funeral doomband FAAL at the well-known underground club Little Devil in Tilburg/the

Netherlands.

As a teaser to the bands’ music Columbarium independently released a lyric-video for the song ‘Rivers Of Blood’ on the 17th of December

2021. It got noticed by Belgian independent label Dust & Bones Records and it resulted in the release of a first single ‘Rivers Of Blood’ with

the title track and, even though it’s not, ‘B-side’ track ‘Save Our Children’. It was released on the 23rd of May (2022) on limited &

handnumbered cassette and digital streaming on all platforms.

Bass player/vocalist Pete states: ‘It feels rather uncomfortable to describe your own music and actually we don't like doing so, but we go

through life as a heavy Doom metal band with influences ranging from blues to some earlier slower death metal. To say it with the words

from our good friend William Nijhof of funeral doomband FAAL, ‘A super combi between miserable and brutal!’.

Having recorded their first full album with the title ‘The Morbidious One’ from April 2022 until mid July 2022, the mix and full production was

finished in February 2023 by Lander Cluyse from Hearse Studio. In March the band was picked up by Italian specialized

Stoner/Doom/Sludge label Argonauta Records for release of the full album on the 29th of September 2023.

Pete continues: ‘We couldn’t be more stoked to work with Argonauta and to have taken the next step with them. They have an incredible

trackrecord of supporting their bands and offered us a full package with vinyl, CD, and digital release, promotion through Grand Sounds and

distribution through PIAS in Europe and the US. We feel like being blessed by one of the greatest European labels in the genre and are

incredibly pleased to work with them! Also thanks to their contribution to us going forward, we were able to play the great three day Alcatraz

Festival in Belgium in the Summer of 2024.’

The album got great reviews from the press worldwide with amongst them well-known printed magazines like Aardschok and Rock Tribune

and leading webzines like ‘Doomed And Stoned’ and ‘Wings Of Death’ (see next page for quotes). The band is now working on songs for

their next full album, the successor to ‘The Morbidious One’, that should be

recorded in the first half of 2026.