DOOMHERRE

“When we started Doomherre, we already had a very clear vision of what we wanted to play.”

“We started to see the album more as a collection of horror stories.”

“‘Bonegoat.’ It really sets the mood.”

“People often tell us: ‘You sound like five people on stage — where’s the rest of the band?’”

“Everything is important – it’s all part of the artistic process.”

“Darkness can be beautiful, but it can also challenge the listener.”

“If a song doesn’t move us, we scrap it.”

“We’ve found our sound and the kind of music we want to make.”

“Our writing is mostly myth-building, but there’s probably a lot of subconscious material working its way in as well.”

“A full concept album that’s 100% Bonegoat saga is something we definitely want to do.”

Doom metal has always been about more than distortion and despair.
At its most potent, it builds worlds – places where atmosphere, symbolism, and sound merge into something oppressive yet strangely magnetic.
Doomherre understand this instinctively.
With ‘Serpent Shrine‘ and an upcoming album increasingly described as a ‘Book of Horror‘, the band delve deep into myth, decay, and emotional weight, without losing sight of the human pulse beneath the ritualistic surface.
Drawing on shared roots in ’90s death metal, stoner heaviness, and raw underground ethos, Doomherre craft music that feels ancient but lived-in – heavy not just in sound, but in intention.
We spoke with Doomherre about horror as narrative, atmosphere as architecture, and why Doom doesn’t have to choose between darkness and beauty.
‘Serpent Shrine‘ is a title filled with ancient and arcane imagery.
If that shrine were an actual physical place – what would it look like, and what sensations (smell, sound, atmosphere) would someone experience stepping inside?
“An overgrown temple, lit by burning torches, with the constant smell of decay hanging in the air.”
Your upcoming album has been referred to as a sinister ‘Book of Horror‘.
Is there a central storyline that binds the chapters, or is the concept intentionally fragmented like nightmares stitched together?
“Some of the songs follow a storyline, similar to what we did on ‘Bonegoat’. But since not all songs were written for that narrative – and some story-connected songs didn’t make it onto the album – we started to see it more as a collection of horror stories. Both approaches work well for us.”
Doomherre is built on members with roots in very different scenes – Stoner, Death, and raw underground metal.
How has this mixed heritage shaped your personal definition of what Doom should be in 2025?
“We actually got to know each other back in the ’90s, when we were all playing death metal bands, so we share that background. We’ve all played in stoner bands as well – only one of us has experience in progressive metal. When we started Doomherre, we already had a very clear vision of what we wanted to play.”
You’ve described ‘Dark Hand‘ as one of your most personal tracks.
If it had been written as a diary entry instead of a song – what would that entry have said?
“Another night with no sleep. This sucks big time.”
Were there songs on the EP where you deliberately decided not to lean on classic Doom conventions – in favor of something more experimental or even uncomfortable?
What motivated those decisions?
“’Stormfather’ and ‘This Burning Guilt’ were written from music that existed about ten years before Doomherre was formed, so they’re a bit more melodic. Max suggested I should sing more in the hard rock style I used back then, and it worked out great. The music for ‘Bonegoat’ also comes from that period.”
“’Serpent Shrine’ and ‘Hymn for Helios’ have Iron Maiden-inspired parts at the end – we wanted to see if we could pull that off without sounding lame. I think we delivered, and they’re great songs for festival crowds.”
Your lyrics often feel like stories wrapped in symbolism.
How much of your writing is metaphor for real experiences – and how much is meant as pure myth-building?
“That’s a great question. Mostly myth-building, but there’s probably a lot of subconscious material working its way in as well.”
You follow a strong DIY ethos – from songwriting to releases.
What freedoms has that given you, and where has it forced difficult decisions, compromises, or even creative limits?
“Compromises are always part of the process. In terms of limitations, time and energy are the biggest challenges. I handle most of the tracking and am present at almost every recording session except bass tracking. Add mixing the album to that – while also working full time – and it becomes a balancing act.”
Atmosphere is crucial in Doom – but how do you balance the visual element (cover art, logos, stage presence) against the raw power of sound?
Are they equal tools, or secondary to the music?
“Everything is important – it’s all part of the artistic process. We’ve worked with incredible artists to create our visual world, and our sound is carefully constructed to be massive live.”
“People often tell us, ‘You sound like five people on stage – where’s the rest of the band?’ That’s because Daniel hits like two drummers, Max plays like a second guitarist and bassist at the same time, and we all push beyond just our instruments.”
If Doomherre were not a band but a place – a landscape – what would that landscape look like?
Is it a forest, a ruin, a frozen shoreline, or something far less earthly?
“There’s a castle ruin in Scotland called Dunnottar. That place inspired the lyrics for ‘This Burning Guilt’. I’d love to visit it someday.”
Doom is often associated with despair, loss, and decay – but do you see beauty, release, or even hope within darkness?
Or should Doom remain merciless by nature?
“Doom actually covers a wide emotional range. Pentagram, for example, has a lot of variety in their lyrics. Darkness can be beautiful, but because Doom carries so much emotional weight, it can also challenge the listener. Sometimes it’s wise to take a break.”
Songs like ‘This Burning Guilt‘ evoke themes of failure and inner demons.
Do you see Doom Metal as catharsis – for musicians, for listeners – or more as confrontation without escape?
“We write songs with the hope that others will feel what we feel when playing them. If a song doesn’t move us, we scrap it. That’s our standard.”
“The lyrics are often inspired by art or images I’ve seen. I connect those visuals to storytelling. Music is very visual to me – I try to conjure cinematic scenes and situations through the lyrics.”
Imagine looking back five years from now – how would you want Doomherre to have evolved sonically, visually, and emotionally?
“We’ve found our sound and the kind of music we want to make. Better production is always a goal – and having someone on stage in a Bonegoat costume, Iron Maiden-style, would be amazing. A full concept album that’s 100% Bonegoat saga is something we definitely want to do.”
If you had to introduce your music to someone who has never heard Doom before – which Doomherre track would you choose, and what would you tell them right before the first note hits?
“’Bonegoat’. It really sets the mood.”
Doomherre don’t treat Doom metal as a relic or a genre box to tick.
For them, it’s a landscape – one shaped by ruins, stories, and emotional gravity.
Whether through mythic horror, personal exhaustion, or sheer sonic force, their music invites listeners into a space that is oppressive, immersive, and strangely alive.
‘Serpent Shrine‘ stands not just as a song or a title, but as an entry point into that world – a place where decay breathes, darkness resonates, and Doom remains as heavy in meaning as it is in sound.
by Fok ‘bs’

track-list:
Serpent Shrine
Dark Hand
This Burning Guilt
Stormfather

forthcoming shows 2025/6:
dec30th Doomed New Year IV Johanneshov/SWE
jan10th Hard Metal Fest Mangualde 2026 Mangualde/PRT

Swedish doom metal outfit Doomherre return with their latest 4-track EP, ‘Serpent Shrine‘ – a dark, weighty prelude to their upcoming full-length album ‘Plaguelords‘, due later this year via Skatbo Records.
Serving as a foretaste of what’s to come, ‘Serpent Shrine‘ follows a string of singles – ‘Dark Hand‘, ‘This Burning Guilt‘, and ‘Stormfather‘ – that have already set the tone for Doomherre’s evolving sound.
Drummer Daniel Strachal describes ‘Dark Hand‘ as one of the most personal and defining moments on ‘Plaguelords‘:
“Dark Hand is one of the most personal songs on ‘Plaguelords’. It reflects the heavier side of the album both musically and emotionally, and we’re proud to present it as the next step leading up to the full release.”
The track swells with deliberate, pounding rhythms – a masterclass in controlled heaviness that channels both modern doom sensibilities and the genre’s timeless weight.
Following their acclaimed 2023 debut ‘Bonegoat‘, Doomherre’s upcoming ‘Plaguelords‘ promises a darker, more uncompromising descent into despair and grandeur.
The band’s songwriting has sharpened, with deeper emotional currents and an unrelenting sonic force.
Among the standout tracks, ‘Stormfather‘ explores themes of hope, despair, and redemption – a journey of clawing one’s way back from rock bottom.
“Listeners who aren’t usually into metal said they could easily see ‘Stormfather’ in their playlists – in the car, at the gym, wherever. That suggests this one might have real reach and a strong hit factor,”
the band notes.
With ‘Serpent Shrine‘, Doomherre cement their status as one of Sweden’s most compelling new forces in doom – preparing the ground for ‘Plaguelords‘ to strike later this year.