Formed in Mülheim an der Ruhr in 1992, Bohren & der Club of Gore emerged from the German hardcore and metal scene only to abandon it almost entirely - slowing their music to a crawl and inventing a genre all their own. Blending the hushed melancholy of jazz with the weight and menace of doom, the band pioneered what became known as "doom jazz" or "noir jazz": glacial, instrumental soundscapes built from mournful saxophone, spectral Rhodes, brooding piano, deep double bass and the softest brush of drums. Over three decades and a devoted international following, they have made after-hours darkness their signature. "Dolores" (2008), their sixth album, is arguably the most elegant expression of that art. Across ten pieces and a taut 58 minutes, mournful saxophone, softly glowing Rhodes, brushed drums and deep, patient bass drift by like smoke in an empty late-night bar. Widely regarded as one of the band's finest and most accessible entry points, "Dolores" is slow, beautiful and quietly devastating - an essential piece of the Bohren catalogue and a cornerstone of any discerning collection.