Cloud

Cloud is an instrumental stoner-doom metal project formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2012. While the name is shared by several artists across genres, the Pittsburgh entity is defined by its adherence to the traditions of slow-tempo, high-gain metal.

Their sound identity is built on a foundation of down-tuned electric guitars, heavy use of fuzz and distortion, and a rhythmic approach that emphasizes weight over speed. Their career arc is marked by a series of releases in the mid-to-late 2010s, including 'Indeterminate' and 'Deus ex machina', which solidified their place in the regional underground scene. Critically, they are noted for their ability to maintain interest without a vocalist, using dynamic shifts and textural layering to create a narrative arc within instrumental tracks. They occupy a space between the traditional doom of Black Sabbath and the more modern, atmospheric sludge of bands like Bongripper or Earth, though they maintain a more straightforward, riff-centric approach than the latter's drone-heavy work.