New Mexican Doom Cult Ascends to New Territory with "Ziggurat", Their Heaviest and Most Ambitious Work to Date
New Mexican Doom Cult is a quartet from the frosty city of Gävle, Sweden. The band is as known for their captivating, myth-heavy tales as they are their impenetrable doom riffs, a fitting combination that infuses New Mexican Doom Cult's tone with a characteristic haunting, icy bite. The band got their start in 2015, dropping their first single Vicious Count in March of the following year. New Mexican Doom Cult's signature sound was established straight away and maintained its heavy momentum across the band's discography, which includes several singles and two albums: Necropolis (March 2023) and a collection of older songs titled From the Crypt (December 2023). *Fun fact: these albums collectively made up one of the very first reviews here on Screaming from the Heavy Underground, which can be found here.*
New Mexican Doom Cult endured a few lineup changes over the years but never lost sight of their vision or trademark tones. This resolve can be heard all over the band's new album Ziggurat (released January 23, 2026 via Majestic Mountain Records), their heaviest and most multi-faceted release to date.
New Mexican Doom Cult - Ziggurat
1.) The Church of Starry Wisdom
From the very first track, New Mexican Doom Cult shows that they mean business as pummeling drums and thick, hypnotic riffs forcibly pull the listener under their dense but grooving current (you won't mind). Right off the bat, I noticed an exponential increase in the energy in the band's sound as some soaring stoner and more traditional heavy metal sounds seems to be bleeding into their trademark frosty doom tones (again, you won't mind).
2.) Metatron
Metatron opens with some deliciously eerie spacey sounds before the pace kicks up even higher than on the previous track. More metal-driven guitar tones alternate between intricate and spiraling and coarse and crunchy. Vocals take things up a notch as well by delivering a few well-placed growls. Past the midway point, two separate melodic interludes give rise to increasingly heave bursts of intensity, particularly in the last forty seconds of the son. If Metatron doesn't get you headbanging along, go back and try again,
3.) Cloudrider
Cloudrider is marked by a bubbling and grooving infusion of stoner psych into New Mexican Doom Cult's typically impenetrable wall of doom. You'll probably notice some undeniable similarities between this track and the cult favorite Forever My Queen by seminal underground doom band Pentagram, and this is completely intentional, "a sly and cheeky homage" of sorts. However, Cloudrider is much more than a tribute to a beloved band, it's also "a fuzz-drenched hymn inspired by Babylonian demons".
4.) Return to Babylon
Return to Babylon got me massively psyched within its first twenty seconds, as dense but fluid riffs move like a sinister lava flow. More heavy metal bite and some soaring guitar solos break up the heft a bit throughout the song, adding a ton of dimension and cementing Return to Babylon's status as my favorite track on Ziggurat.
5.) Criosphinx
Criosphinx has a very infectious, swinging cadence and a soulful delivery that's kissed by notes of golden heavy rock. This really warms up New Mexican Doom Cult's icy, haunting sound, allowing the listen to hear the band in a new light. (Don't get me wrong, this song still dooms in a big way).
6.) Sungod
Sungod is truly one of the surprises of the album, temporarily turning the tables completely as its first several minutes fill with a vaporous, atmospheric lull. Soothing though it may seem at first, some eerie background spacey tones and the evil thrum of the bass maintain a certain level of trepidation. The vocals stand out brilliantly against this hushed backdrop, drawing attention to the details of their expressive performance. Then, at the 4:58 mark, an explosion of soaring, triumphant tones detonates, a short-lived celebration that rather quickly becomes enveloped in more menacing tempers, ultimately returning to deafening emptiness. This is a powerful song with remarkably vivid storytelling and expression.
7.) I Stand Alone
I Stand Alone follows a similar framework to Sungod, with a rather quiet beginning followed by a huge, sudden burst of intensity. However, this is the song I consider to be the second and possibly the biggest (and best) surprise on Ziggurat, and its sound is something different entirely. Overall, there's a very unique and captivating David-Bowie-meets-dark-folk vibe, particularly in the quieter moments - a sci fi epic as told by a weary, well-traveled space cowboy. This song ends the album in a memorable way that screams "If you think you knew New Mexican Doom Cult, think again".
Final Thoughts
Generally speaking, New Mexican Doom Cult stays true to their signature sound on much Ziggurat. Their mighty doom riffs, often deliciously spine-chilling atmospheres, and evocative storytelling abilities are still very much present; in fact, all of these qualities show up in an even bigger, bolder way on this album. However, the listener will quickly notice that a massive amount of depth and dimension has been added to New Mexican Doom Cult's sound, breaking through the towering, staunch icebergs of doom, sending chunks of them hurtling through frigid currents and into some new territories. The band accomplishes this by adding some pliability to their sound via a bubbling groove that makes itself known throughout the album. You'll also pick up on some electric jolts of traditional heavy metal influence that add a plethora of energy across the board. And, to be honest, I can detect a sense of renewed passion and ambition in the band on Ziggurat, an undeniable hunch that the band is truly giving it their all and then some here because they genuinely want to. However, my favorite aspect of Ziggurat was getting to hear a different side of the band on the last two tracks; these songs alone are enough to set the album apart from the rest of the band's works as their most ambitious release to date. Most importantly, Ziggurat overwhelmingly communicates that while New Mexican Doom Cult is a band that proudly holds onto their roots, they simultaneously allow themselves to evolve and grow, a characteristic of a band with tremendous staying power.
More About New Mexican Doom Cult
New Mexican Doom Cult is:
Nils - Guitars/Vocals
Fredrik - Bass
David - Guitars
Magnus - Drums
You can follow New Mexican Doom Cult and listen to their music at the following links:
A massive thank you to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo!
Check out Screaming from the Heavy Underground on YouTube!
A Screaming from the Heavy Underground Sidebar:
What is a Ziggurat, anyway?
A ziggurat is a type of terraced ancient Mesopotamian structure, often topped by a temple. The Sumerians believed that the gods lived in these temples, which could only be entered by priests and other highly esteemed figures. In order to draw the gods to the temple and convince them to take up residence there, the Sumerian people offered up gifts to them such as music, harvested crops, and devotional statues.
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