PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Missoula is a project put together by drummer Brooks Wackerman (Avenged Sevenfold) and guitarist John Konesky (Tenacious D). The group put together a new album that is going to be released at the end of June, Death Doula is full of surprises, and I was lucky enough to hear it. I can say I have never heard of this, and they blew me away, into a tornado of genres all clashing together at once.
Let’s get into the review.
The Death Doula Rundown
Death Doula is a mashup of anything you love about rock and roll, from punk to epic metal, and so much more. Each song on the album is epic; I could call it so much more, but I would be sitting here for hours. I have listened to the album a few times, and it is easily my favorite album of 2026 so far. The group takes you down a rabbit hole of saying to yourself, “Man, what have I stumbled upon?” That’s the easiest way to put it. Death Doula is an homage to everything I was raised on, and genres I stumbled upon myself. The opening riffs mean something foreboding, and as you get through the song, you can name each style put together.
From doom metal to hints of 16-bit video games, I love to play. That had me stuck in nostalgia for quite a while; that’s what made this album even better to me. Every sound is combined into songs that just go on because there is so much complexity. Death Doula pulls no punches, advancing them into my top 20 for a while. Another talking point is that it doesn’t get you rattled; there’s nothing fast or unprofessional. Every song has its own identity. What I mean by that is you will never be disappointed.
The first track of the album “Crimson” is released and streaming everywhere as a warning shot. You can find it on all streaming platforms. I have never really taken the time to hunt down instrumental groups, but Missoula won me over with their straightforward, in-your-face sound. I was halfway expecting a sound like The Residents, which I could never get into; I was completely immersed in the sound of each track. Death Doula will be added to my “background noise” while I work. The funniest part of the whole damn thing is that it helps me with my mental illness. It’s calming in a funny kind of way.
In The End: Missoula Reigns Supreme
This is the type of music I need that calms me down, but still kicks metal into my heart. Each song evolves into another before the next track hits. Each time I listen to it, I find something new; the album strings us along slyly. Maybe it’s just me because I have loved everything from punk to doom metal. I absolutely hope there is more to come. It’s the kind of stuff we need in our lives, make it grocery store music. I fell in love in an instant, and the album didn’t break my heart; it held my hand through the rough parts of the day, dragging me along to another night full of relaxation, the weirdo kind of way.
