New Mexican Doom Cult – Ziggurat

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · February 17, 2026

New Mexican Doom Cult is a four-piece band from Gävle, Sweden. Formed in 2015, their sound is a mix of proto-metal, doom, and heavy psych. The current lineup consists of: Nils on guitars and vocals, Fredrik on bass, David on guitars, and Magnus on drums. They have released their debut full length album, 2023’s From The Crypt, and a slew of singles leading up to that release. Their sophomore second album entitled Ziggurat was released on January 23rd 2026, on Majestic Mountain Records. The lineup on that recording consists of Nils Ahnland on guitars, bass, and vocals, Jonathan Ekvall on drums, and Jonas Strömberg on keyboards. Strömberg also recorded and co-produced the album. Ziggurat contains seven tracks and is forty three minutes long.

The opening track “The Church Of Starry Wisdom” sets the riff machine in motion with heavy slabs of proto-doom laced with atmospheric keyboards and vocals that summon Bobby Liebling from Pentagram. The music barrels along dense rhythms and classic melodies akin to Candlemass but derives crushing sounds totally authentic in its delivery. “Metaltron” boasts a sludge driven groove that permeates the ear drums in such a deafening manner. The mid pacing of the first riff breaks down into a colossal battering as the music freelances nicely along in a doom parade. New Mexican Doom Cult twists the melody with an ambience of layered vocals as the music pauses momentarily. The beautiful keys join in and the band picks up the groove when the main riff kicks back into overdrive. A very creative approach and etching of a great song.

The third track called “Cloudrider” brings back the Pentagram vibes igniting classic doom at its finest. Graced with torturous guitar leads and a sorrowful catchiness that resonates throughout the song, the band expresses a darkness that is more upbeat than plodding. The Sabbath rhythms and simple percussion blends just right with the essence of the song. However, when “Return To Babylon” bleeds from the speakers, the impending doom is matched nicely with a blanket of psychedelic tones. Sinister riffs are a gritty delight with this one.

The fifth track “Criosphinx” has that evil Sabbath filth injected throughout. Dirty guitar tones and swing beat drumming coalesce nicely with the cosmic flares of melody. The songs on Ziggurat are reasonably lengthy, averaging within the five to seven minute range, comfortably settling around six minutes mostly. The time stamp proves itself effectively as each track has the breathing room to transcend into a menacing dirge of cosmic debauchery. The longest track on the record is “Sungod”, clocking in at seven and a half minutes long. It has a slow and illustrious build up of driving low end matched with the spacy synapses of head tripping and atmospheric waves.

“Sungod” drifts right into the closing passage called “ I Stand Alone”. The band explorers their dynamics further with these two tracks and gives us a glimpse into more psychedelic elements amassed with their brand of dense and traditional doom. Fiery leads and a thundering of riffage closes out a great recording. The Sweden doom scene is alive and kicking with a band like New Mexican Doom Cult forging their path ahead with strength and conviction.