La loro formazione e` documentata dall'EP In Memorium (Earache, 1999), che raccoglie una demo dei primordi e un concerto live del 1991.

Forest Of Equilibrium (Earache, 1991) rivela subito l'influenza pesantissima dei Black Sabbath, riciclando all'infinito il riff panzer di Paranoid, ma alla fine la musica, a forza di rallentare e approfondire maniacalmente le armonie, risulta paradossalmente spirituale e lirica (Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain). E` una conclusione che si fa largo lentamente, in un tripudio di fraseggi magniloquenti, di grugniti mostruosi e di cadenze funeree (esemplare Ebony Tears), partendo dall'atmosfera da cerimoniale medievale di Comiserating The Celebration e recuperando un minimo di cantabilita` soltanto in Soul Sacrifice, l'inno del disco. La durata media dei brani e` otto minuti. Se Dorrian e` l'ideologo dell'operazione, Jennings e` l'autore delle musiche. Il bassista Griff Griffith lascia invece la formazione per formare gli Year Zero.

L'EP Soul Sacrifice (Earache, 1992) rinnega parte di quel programma, ripiegando su canzoni tradizionali che ricordano l'hard rock degli anni '70 (Autumn Twilight).

Ethereal Mirror (Earache, 1993) continua in quella direzione ma sperimentando partiture strumentali degne del progressive-rock (Phantasmagoria e soprattutto Fountain Of Innocence).

L'EP Statik Magik (Earache, 1994), ristampato com Cosmic Requiem, conferma la svolta con la suite The Voyage Of The Homeless Sapiens della durata di ventidue minuti, ispirata ai primi King Crimson e Genesis. Il doom metal si e` fuso con il progressive-rock.

Dorrian e Jennings sono gli unici superstiti della formazione originale e con Carnival Bizarre (Earache, 1995) toccano un altro dei loro vertici. Vampire Sun e` esemplare di come questo disco tenti di fondere psichedelia e doom. L'atmosfera di Inertia's Cave e` persino romantica e Blue Light e` di fatto una ballad sinfonica. I riff lenti e colossali di Night Of The Seagull, Carnival Bizarre e Palace Of Fallen Majesty evocano epos e grandeur in maniera piu` granitica che mai. Il doom classico dei vecchi Cathedral fa invece capolino da Fantalactic Supergoria, Utopian Blaster e Night Of The Seagulls. Il disco diventa un'altra pietra miliare del genere.

Formed by Lee Dorrian (vocals, formerly of Napalm Death), Gary Jennings and Adam Lehan (guitars, both ex Acid Reign), Cathedral are an institution of the doom metal scene.

Their early years are documented by the In Memorium EP (Earache, 1999), that collects a demo of the firt period and a live concert from 1991.

Forest of Equilibrium (Earache, 1991) revealed the heavy influence of Black Sabbath, endlessly recycling the panzer riff of Paranoid, but the music itself slows down and deepens so much that in the end it sounds even spiritual and lyric (Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain). The avarage length of the tracks is eight minutes, and they are all composed by stately phrasings, monstrous grunts and funeral lilts (exemplary Ebony Tears), starting with the medieval ceremonial atmosphere of Comiserating the Celebration and recovering a minimum of melody only in Soul Sacrifice, the anthem of the record. If Dorrian is the ideologue, Jennings is the "author".

Bass-player Griff Griffith left the band to form Year Zero.

The EP Soul Sacrifice (Earache, 1992) reneges on part of that program, retreating to traditional songs that recall 1970s' hard rock (Autumn Twilight).

Ethereal Mirror (Earache, 1993) continues in that direction while experimenting instrumental scores worthy of progressive-rock (Phantasmagoria and, above all, Fountain of Innocence).

The EP Statik Magik (Earache, 1994), reissued as Cosmic Requiem, confirms the change with the suite The Voyage of the Homeless Sapiens, twenty-two minutes inspired by early King Crimson and Genesis. With this record, doom metal was defitively fused with progressive-rock.

Dorrian and Jennings are the only survivors of the original line-up and with Carnival Bizarre (Earache, 1995) they touch another of their peaks. Vampire Sun is exemplary of how this album tries to melt psichedelia and doom. The atmosphere of Inertia's Cave is even romantic and Blue Light is de facto a symphonic ballad. The slow and colossal riffs of Night of the Seagull, Carnival Bizarre and Palace of Fallen Majesty evoke epic and grandeur in a more granite manner that never. On the other hand, the classical doom of early Cathedral erupts from Fantalactic Supergoria, Utopian Blaster and Night of the Seagulls. The album is another milestone of the

Supernatural Birth Machine (Earache 1996) e` una grossa delusione che continua la loro tradizione nell’alternare lavori ambiziosi e innovativi con lavori sfocati e dilettantistici. Urko’s conquest prosegue nell’intrigante direzione del disco precedente, mentre Birth machine 2000 e Cyclops revolution virano verso sonorita` futuristiche, ma la maggior parte dei brani sembrano degli scarti.

D’altra parte, l’EP Hopkins (Earache 1996) contiene due brani insoliti, Purple wonderlands e The devil’s summit, che riprendono il funk-rock e il blues-rock degli anni ’70.

Supernatural Birth Machine (Earache, 1996) is a major disappointment and continues Cathedral's tradition of alternating ambitious, innovative works and amateurish, unfocused works. Urko's Conquest continues in the intriguing direction of the previous album, while Birth Machine 2000 and Cyclops Revolution veer towards a futuristic sound, but most tracks sound like leftovers.

On the other hand, the EP Hopkins (Earache, 1996) contains two unusual tracks, Purple Wonderlands and The Devil's Summit, that hark back to 1970s funk-rock and blues-rock.

After a two-year hiatus, Cathedral returned with another winner, Caravan Beyond Redemption (Earache, 1998). The album starts badly with Voodoo Fire, a (involuntarily) comic collage that streches the band's skills a little too far. But the rest is all in the name of their characteristic heavy Black Sabbath-soaked sound: The Unnatural World is telling of their mature hard-rock, even if (and maybe precisely because) it steals the riff from Eddie Cochran's Summertime Blues. Booming bass notwithstanding, Satanikus Robotikus sounds more like Led Zeppelin (How Many More Times) and Deep Purple (Strange Kind Of Woman) than Black Sabbath. Funk hiccups and Hendrix-ian glissandos shake the granitic foundations of Freedom. References to the classics abound throughout the album (echoes of Jethro Tull in Heavy Load). The standout, though, has to be Captain Clegg, that boasts an epic and catchy riff. Except for a couple of misguided ventures into progressive-rock, the album is impeccable.

Endtyme (Earache, 2001) began with the last track on Caravan, Dust In Paradise. Far from being an oddity in an otherwise shimmering state-of-the-art production, that track signaled Dorrian's desire to go back to the basics. And so this is their heaviest work since their debut, a significant departure from the baroque sound of their middle period. It could be that Dorrian is afraid of being left behind by the new, post-doom, fads, or it could be that Cathedral has exausted its mission. With the exception of Ultra Earth and Astral Queen (both three-year old and meant for a never released EP), Cathedral paints a bleak fresco of degraded emotions via booming and crashing harmonies. Even if Whores Of Oblivion and Sea Serpent reveal the usual flair for melody, the song cycle is relentless and uncompromising.

Seventh Coming (Dream Catcher, 2002) is one of their most accessible works (Phoenix Rising, Skullflower). Unfortunately, it is also one of the least inspired.

Teeth Of Lions Rule The Divine is a supergroup formed by Cathedral's vocalist Lee Dorian, Goatsnake's guitarist Greg Anderson, Sunn O)))'s bassist Stephen O'Malley, and Iron Monkey's drummer Justin Greaves. Rampton (Southern Lord, 2002) is a state-of-the-art album in the genre of psychedelic trance-doom metal. Other than a Killdozer cover (New Pants and Shirt), it contains only two original tracks: the 30-minute colossus He Who Accepts All That Is Offered (whose first ten minutes are a ghostly duet of sparse drums and guitar drones), and the spectacular 17-minute riff & feedback orgy of The Smiler.

The Garden Of Unearthly Delights (Nuclear Blast, 2006) marked an impressive return to form, thanks to the ambitious 25-minute progressive-rock suite The Garden, that seemed to encompass every possible musical influence the band ever subjected to (and even added female vocals and violin).

The double-disc The Guessing Game (Nuclear Blast) is truly two albums in one. The first half is a revival project: each piece seems to pay tribute to a style of the 1970s: prog-rock (Funeral Of Dreams), acid-rock (Cats, Incense, Candles & Wine). lounge-pop (the concentrate of flutes and mellotrons in Death Of An Anarchist), hard-rock (Painting In The Dark), etc. Except for The Running Man (the most "Cathedralish" piece here), the second half pales by comparison. The last two (lengthy) pieces are pointless spoken-word discussions. Lee Dorrian never seems to get into the music of this album.