You’re Bewitched!

Deumus, Thedus, Eye of the Golem

Presented by Wrath Events, Club Vakuum, Graz, Vienna 20250911

This was my first time at Vakuum, a key venue in Graz’s underground scene. The club operates on the basis of annual membership (currently €15), which not only supports the venue but also gives access to various events throughout the year, including live music. On this night, the line-up featured two Italian bands, Eye of the Golem and Thedus, along with local act Deumus. All three bands are followers, in their own unique ways, of the slow and heavy sounds, making it a perfect evening for fans of doom metal.

The first to take the stage were Eye of the Golem. The band comes from Bologna and released last year their debut full-length album, Nigredo (curiously, recorded at Vacuum Studio in Italy). Their sound, extremely heavy and masterfully crafted using just a bass, a guitar and drums, also incorporates some sludge and psychedelic elements as well as a certain “gloomy groove”. After the show, I had the chance to chat with Andrea Giuliani, the band’s bassist and lyricist, who explained to me that he achieved that weighty bass tone using only his passive Precision Bass, an overdrive pedal, and the amp. But of course, the bass was also tuned to A. One of the best pieces of the night was “Black Cathedral”, the opening track on their album, which immediately became one of my personal favourites of the year.

Around 22, the second band, Thedus from Parma, started their set. The trio has a full-length album, Hypnosis, which they released in 2023 (also recorded at Vacuum Studio) and bases their sound on sludge doom, although they also integrate some drone doom influences, as in the track “Mind Control”. However, perhaps the most distinctive feature of the band is that they are entirely instrumental. It’s a bold, even a risky choice, but Thedus handled it brilliantly, balancing heavy riffs, dissonant chords, and some melodic sections on the guitar.

To close out the night, Deumus (Graz) took the stage, delving into the more occult sounds of doom metal. In fact, some comments on Bandcamp even describe them as “evil doom metal”. Dissonant riffs reminiscent of Black Sabbath’s classic self-titled track, a deeply dark sound, and a vocal performance that felt almost ritualistic all pointed directly to this direction. Indeed, the frontman, dressed in a cape for the occasion, quickly connected with the audience and mesmerised with his vocal and performative skills, drawing from epic elements (à la Messiah Marcolin), theatricality, and dramatic growls. Additionally, a strategically applied reverb effect gave his voice a distant quality, as if speaking from “beyond”. The band’s set was solid, featuring tracks like “Oyer and Terminer” (the title track of their only album from 2022) and “Doom”. But without a doubt, the highlight of the night where everyone sang along was their masterful cover of Candlemass’s “Bewitched”. As the band’s guitarist, Carlos “Lord of Doom”, explained to me, they play it half a tone lower than the original to give it an even darker touch.

After the concert and a long conversation with the guys of Deumus, I wandered into what, in my eyes, had now become a bewitched night.