Damask – Three Times Ten

Damask is a relatively new open project launched in 2025 by Weno Winter, a member of the long-running Polish progressive-stoner trio Sautrus. Alongside Winter (vocals and guitar), the band’s current lineup features Adrian Jegorow (bass), Jakub Modrzejewski (guitar), and Paweł Łach (drums).

Three Times Ten is their eight-track debut CD, released through Worst Bassist Records and Wolfspell Records. The physical release is strictly limited, with the first 200 copies packaged in a single digipak edition that is minimal, matte, and intentionally understated. The cover art itself is designed to mirror the music within: clean, focused, and completely devoid of excess. When it comes to the sonic identity of Three Times Ten, the Polish quartet incorporates a wide range of musical styles on this full-length debut, seamlessly blending acoustic and progressive rock with heavy doom metal. Interestingly, the album’s stated goal is “to reach the heart through the simplest and most honest love songs possible.” It is debatable whether they succeeded in writing simple love songs, as Three Times Ten is a heavy, complex, and multidimensional record that demands multiple spins to fully process. However, the band undeniably succeeds in creating a powerful blend of atmosphere, rhythm, and raw emotion, moving fluidly between slow stoner-doom passages and intricate progressive metal arrangements.

Two standout cuts are the opener “Forsaken Me” and the mid-album highlight “Witness of a Lie”. “Forsaken Me” is a haunting, doom-infused opening track that blends heavy atmospheric dread with raw, rebellious guitar tones, perfectly setting the stage for the rest of the record. Meanwhile, “Witness of a Lie” is a compelling, gloomy, and tense track. As the album’s most fully realized cut, it serves as the record’s strongest emotional and sonic anchor.

The album heavily features Winter’s exceptional rhythmic control and dynamic vocal-instrumental dialogues, which build continuous tension. Beyond the deep, commanding vocals, the record is driven by heavy, distortion-laden riffs, drums with a natural, unprocessed kick attack, and basslines that lock into heavy, looping grooves. These repetitive figures build an intense, almost hypnotic momentum.

In summary, Three Times Ten is well worth your time if you appreciate Polish progressive doom and bands like Sautrus, Eyehategod, Godsleep, Yes, Anathema, Katatonia, and Genesis. Clocking in at 35 minutes, this eight-track opus navigates far more stylistic territory than most debuts even attempt, creating a sonic journey built on repetition, tension, and release. If this sounds intriguing, you can stream or purchase the release directly on the Damask Bandcamp page.