Zebulon: Come Day Of Reckoning | The Day Of Doom Metal Has Arrived
(2025 – Apollon Records)
Ah! The good old days when albums had superb production, when everything sounded just right, and the songs lifted your spirit and soul. Those days seem to be a thing of the past, but not entirely. Zebulon offers a return to the heavy, well-crafted sound with production that evokes bygone eras.
Hailing from Norway, Zebulon is a unique quintet that, far from following modern trends, has opted for a style of Doom/Stoner that draws heavily on the old, beloved Candlemass, a touch of Trouble, and also Solitude Aeturnus, with a ’70s-era feel at its core and a modern sound. Their most distinctive feature is the heavy, at times groovy, guitars, along with long, dense tempos, and a vocal style distinctive enough to set them apart from any specific comparisons, beyond the obvious influences.
“Come Day Of Reckoning” is Zebulon’s debut album. They have a previous EP titled “Desolation I” from 2024, but technically what we’re hearing here is their first full-length album—though this is where my doubts arise. It has the running time of an LP, but its mere six songs make it feel like an EP; so, by virtue of its length, we’ll treat it as a full-length album, even though this technicality in no way detracts from what is a great work.
The thing is, this Zebulon album has something infectious about it—something that keeps drawing you back to it over and over again—and it’s utterly captivating, with a gloomy, dark, yet introspective sound, crafted in the old-school style without resorting to technology, relying instead on intelligence and virtuosity as their only weapons. It’s a veritable wonderland for troglodytes like us who prefer the old over the modern; “Come Day Of Reckoning” harks back to the old, heavy, and dark, and that’s one of its most striking characteristics.
It kicks off with “Reap The Fruits Of Famine,” featuring that drawn-out, resonant riff that accompanies us throughout much of the song, at a medium-slow tempo, with harmonies and melodies that delight the ears in a masterful way. The guitar work by Kenneth Olsen and Torstein Fuhr Obrestad is absolutely mind-blowing, and if you don’t believe me, I suggest giving “Day Of Wrath” a listen—the next track, which, with its various tempo changes, stands out as one of the album’s highlights.
Zebulon handles the variety of moods and moments almost perfectly, and in the complex process of producing an album—deciding which songs to include, where to place them, and so on—the Norwegians never falter. Along those lines, we find an almost epic, atmospheric track—as melancholic as it is introspective—like “Headstone,” where Zebulon allows itself to experiment with different sounds and moods.
“Break Bread With The Dead” marks a turning point that leans more toward a sound closer to traditional and melodic metal but fits perfectly into the album’s overall vibe; in fact, it’s the shortest track at five minutes.
At this point, we realize that heavy riffs define the core of every Zebulon track, and the band stays firmly anchored to that foundation throughout. “Where Dead Hands Linger,” the next track, is a prime example of this, with a melodic foundation in its harmonies, where Kristian Berge Nessa stands out—a singer whose vocals always push the limits and somehow give each of the band’s performances a unique personality. It’s no surprise at this point to highlight the beautiful guitar arrangements that adorn yet another great track.
“Deathless,” the final track on “Come Day Of Reckoning,” seems to be Zebulon’s boldest move, where classical guitar arrangements combine with dense guitar riffs to give birth to a melancholic piece that paints different landscapes and moods, rounding out a sort of conclusion to a great album.
Without a doubt, “Come Day Of Reckoning” is a well-crafted, balanced album, full of diverse moods and textures that fill the ears, where everything revolves around thoughtfully composed guitar work, set against a solid foundation that holds its own, and the raw power of each instrument is clearly felt. Zebulon’s style may not be particularly original or new; in fact, their sound harks back to the old school. Yet, in an era where everything seems driven by invasive technology, the fact that an album like this can sound so simple and straightforward—while maintaining superlative quality—suggests that all is not lost.
And it is at this point that we must also highlight Zebulon’s approach to the structure of the songs included on “Come Day Of Reckoning.” The compositions always revolve around thick, dense guitar riffs, which doesn’t prevent them from weaving through different melodies and harmonies, demonstrating enormous versatility and complexity in their songwriting as they blend different moments and moods.
In that sense, this debut album by Zebulon comes close to what could be a classic—though, of course, to know for sure, we’ll have to wait for time to pass and see what future albums bring. Still, the album itself seems very well-conceived, and that’s no small matter.
The production is excellent, one might say, and as for the sound they’ve achieved, there’s a clear desire to sound powerful and old-school. The work with the different guitar sounds makes them come across as overwhelming and serves as the backbone around which Zebulon revolves, but it’s also the underlying textures that stand out in a mix that really showcases the band’s sound—and this album in particular.
The cover of “Come Day Of Reckoning” is distinctive, featuring an illustration—presumably of the famous “Day of Judgment”—or perhaps depicting a “hellish” scene, rendered in reddish tones with a rather retro vibe. Incidentally, the inner sleeve included with the CD edition is of excellent quality, containing the lyrics to each track and a full-group photo of the band, but not much else. It’s worth noting that in addition to the CD edition, the album is also available on vinyl and even on cassette—which is quite something and definitely worth highlighting!
For anyone interested in checking out Zebulon, we’ve included a lyric video below for the song “Reap The Fruits Of Famine”—which, of course, is from this album—and, naturally, we’ve also included the band’s social media links so you can stay updated on their latest news, along with the link where you can purchase this great album by Zebulon…
https://www.nordicmission.net/en/products/zebulon-come-day-of-reckoning-cd-pre-order
https://www.facebook.com/ZebulonNOR
https://www.instagram.com/zebulon_doom
