Sometimes the most interesting doom metal doesn’t come from rain-soaked Northern Europe. Sometimes it comes from the abandoned heartlands of Spain.
Spanish atmospheric doom duo TODOMAL have announced their third album, Graveyards Of Joy, due out on July 3 via Season Of Mist. And despite its deceptively uplifting title, nobody should expect an hour of cheerful whistling through flower fields. This is still doom metal, after all.
Formed in 2020 by Anglo-Spanish multi-instrumentalist Christopher B. Wildman and composer, producer, and musician Javier Fernández Milla, TODOMAL have quietly built one of the more distinctive sounds in the modern underground. Their music sits somewhere between traditional doom, space rock, cinematic soundtracks, and old-school hard rock, while refusing to settle comfortably into any single category.
If PINK FLOYD, KATATONIA, CANDLEMASS, and ANATHEMA somehow found themselves stranded in an old Spanish church overlooking a deserted landscape, you’d probably end up with something close to TODOMAL.
Their debut, Ultracrepidarian (2021), drew inspiration from the vast and sparsely populated regions of northern Alcarria and Matarraña, territories often referred to as part of Spain’s “emptied lands.” Two years later, A Greater Good pushed the project into even stranger territory, earning praise for its dense, unconventional songwriting and eventually selling out its initial pressing.
That momentum also transformed TODOMAL from a studio project into a full-fledged live band. Guitarist Javier Félez (TEITANBLOOD, GRAVEYARD, BALMOG), drummer Javier “Bud” Martínez (DEJADEATH, JADE, KTULU), and keyboardist/vocalist Cecilia Tallo (MAUD THE MOTH) joined the fold, expanding the duo into a formidable five-piece ensemble.
Now comes Graveyards Of Joy, the final chapter of a trilogy that appears to be their most personal work to date.
Written in isolation following personal tragedy, the album channels grief, anger, and eventual acceptance into nine sprawling compositions. According to the band, this isn’t an album about surrendering to despair, but about navigating through it and emerging with something resembling hope on the other side.
Musically, TODOMAL continue to embrace their cinematic tendencies. Massive Hammond organ passages collide with desolate folk melodies, Morricone-inspired string arrangements drift through dusty landscapes, and crushing doom riffs anchor songs that remain surprisingly melodic throughout.
The result is a record that feels expansive without becoming indulgent and heavy without relying solely on brute force. In an era where countless bands chase either retro worship or hyper-modern production, TODOMAL occupy an unusual middle ground that feels refreshingly their own.
And perhaps that’s the most impressive thing about them.
Three albums in, TODOMAL still sound like a band that’s following a map nobody else has seen.
Sometimes the strangest roads lead to the most rewarding destinations.