SINGLE REVIEW: Oh Doom! – We Lost Our Friends

‘We Lost Our Friends’ marks a powerful introduction for Oh Doom!, taken from their debut EP, I Fear This Is The End. The track has already made waves, helping the band sell out two venues with their grassroots promotion. Opening with a loud/quiet dynamic that piques curiosity, the song draws listeners into a seven-minute epic filled with dramatic bursts and lulls that keep the listener engaged right from the outset.

The heavy reverb and piercing guitars create a visceral atmosphere, while frantic drumming injects a sense of chaos, encapsulating the essence of a battle between calm and storm. Just as the listener settles into the extended intro, the song crashes in with scuzzy, fuzzed-out guitars intertwined with melodic pop sensibilities. The thick, sludgy bassline grounds the sound, before shifting into a dreamlike, desolate passage that evokes haunting imagery—like a child’s jewellery box playing in an abandoned house, a poignant reminder of innocence lost and lives moved on.

Vocals enter heavily distorted, bringing an unsettling whimsy to the mix. They are layered with uncertain energy, fitting seamlessly into the rich yet sparse sound that draws from 90s post-rock influences, reminiscent of Mogwai or Sigur Rós. In contrast, the vocal delivery carries a hint of Stereolab's charm, creating a juxtaposition that feels both harrowing and enchanting. The overall atmosphere weighs heavily, painting a melancholic picture of losing friends to various life circumstances, be it substance abuse, societal pressures, or simple drift.

As the song builds towards its crashing finale, the guitars forge an immersive path, while the drums erupt with raw determination, and the bassline maintains its thick, doom-laden presence. This clever blend of tempos and textures encapsulates a rich tapestry of sound, marrying the desolation of abandonment with elaborate sonic landscapes. ‘We Lost Our Friends’ is a striking fusion of grunge distortion and the ethereal nature of shoegaze, mixed with the haunting isolation of post-rock, sludge's heavy tempos, and noise rock's dissonance, all while retaining anthemic alt-rock elements.

Oh Doom! have crafted something truly distinctive and elaborate with this track. Their artistic vision and sonic depth signal a promising future for the band as they continue to explore and expand their sound.