The Top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2017

Black metal is one of my favorite sub-genres of music, metal or otherwise. But blast beats alone don't do it for me. Like most other forms of intense music my ears ingest I need it to be as heavy sonically as is it metal. Black metal is capable of doing this when it's done right. It's more emotionally expressive and dynamic than death metal. So the bar is held high. I don't want Darkthrone imitators. I don't want something that sounds like it was recorded inside a trash can. The albums that made this list gave me what I do want. Rather than torture myself trying to figure out which album should go where I defaulted to my Last Fm page and ranked them by what I actually listened to the most. I frequently say that I'll see how an album grows on me , well this is proof of that theory. In order to make sense of why one band beats out another I have included brief explanations. So here are my top 10 black metal albums of 2017.

10- Goatmoon-"Stella Polaris"


Capable of creating groove rather than just blast beats making this Finnish band is no stranger to Dissection records. There is a little more of a pagan metal folk swing to the gallop of the next song, but even though it is not as dark as prefer my black metal, it is refreshing they are not relying on momentum alone to numb you into submission. Folk metal melodies frolic over their Northern Euro stomp with an often brisk punk energy that shows this album has yet another color to it.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/02/black-metal-history-month-goatmoon.html

9-Taake - "Kong Vinter"

 Things are more polished in some ways.The vocals are what you call expect from Hoest who once again is also taking on every thing else in a way that makes this one man band sound very organic like it's four guys jamming in a room, which is a feat in and of itself. Like the other albums released in the past ten years there is some rock n roll influence mixed in with the trappings you now expect of black metal. This album show the kind of change you have come to expect from this project. It's this experimentation that gives this album more momentum than Goatmoon, who can get mired into the blast beats.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/11/taake-kong-vinter.html

8-Kval-s/t 

 Where these guys set them selves part from other Finnish black metal bands is how the hate sits over the more thoughtful gloom of the chords. Not the first thing I think of when it comes to Finnish black metal, but that is thankfully what these guys are bringing to the table. Now if Horna puts out a new album I'll review it , but I don't need other bands to sound like them. These guys care about the quality of their guitars the only thing that is lo-fi are the vocals which are mixed into the background which is the only Burzum like quality this music has. Aside from the fact it's black metal. They are also able to shift tempos , into riffs more languid and fluid as it flows gracefully over the cold landscape they paint with renewed atmosphere. This fluid nature to the sound is why they beat out Taake.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/08/kval-st.html

7-Buioingola-"Il nuovo mare"

This is an interesting project sometimes reminding me of Tombs older albums. They balance out the post rock parts rather than get lost in it. Some times the heaviness is done in a more typical blast beaten way and sometimes  they are handled with a darker creepiness. If you have read this blog before then you know which side I prefer. The vocals are more of a hoarse death metal roar. This band out of Italy does even on first listen get a few things right. The songs are fairly compact, though they could have turned into mammoth drone fests. It works really well and often finds itself entrenched in a very solid atmosphere. While black metal is one of the predominant metal ingredients this has a whole lot more going on.This is why it beat out Kval.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/04/buioingola-il-nuovo-mare.html

6-Pillorian- Obsidian Arc"

 Vocally it still has the trade mark sneer we heard in Agalloch though he might be screaming out with even more anguish here. I like the fact there is plenty of room to be melodic and they are not pounding you with blast beats. The drummer uses double bass to bring the thunder right from the opener. Its more bombastic drumming that was used in Agalloch. When the blast beats do come they are made more tolerable by the fact that the guitar doesn't feel the need to fall in line behind them.This is however more overtly metal than the bulk of what Agalloch did. This is not to say there is not clean vocals or guitar tones, they are just less frequent that what commonly comes to mind when I think of Agalloch.The polish of this album is why it trumps Buioingola.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/09/pillorian-obsidian-arc.html

5-Ragana- "You Take Nothing"

This two piece out of Oakland has returned with a moodier yet more feral vision of black metal mixed with crust. One thing they have going for them is their songs are very concise and streamlined never feeling like bloated drones. The two longest songs are six and a half minutes.These gals prove they are capable of hitting you with varied colors and tempos. Lyrically I had heard they were angry about the state of politics.This presented with a haze of metaphors rather than going the more punk route of shoving their bitching down your throat. There used to be more of a neo-folk element, that is gone though there are some clean vocals going into the song "Winter's Light". This is interrupted by a blast of black metal that races into the song.The heart put into these songs is why it trumps Pillorian.





http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/04/ragana-you-take-nothing.html

4-Eye of Nix - "Black Somnia"

 They have returned, this time with an even thicker atmosphere of darkness coating what they do.The production is not as dense as the previous album creating more room for a melancholy atmosphere to permeate the songs. Their ritualistic creep reminds me of Diamanda Galas in the exotic explosion of chaotic sound.It's a darker, heavier and more confrontational feel. The paint the sky black with the apocalyptic tone of these songs that never fit neatly into one sub-genre. Where their previous album hooked you in on first listen this one grew on me with it's intense density, but continues to earn repeat listens which is why it beats Ragana.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/12/eye-of-nix-black-somnia.html

3-Satyricon- "Deep Calleth Upon Deep"


 In the past I had not really taken these guys seriously, but they won me over with how this album throbs with darkness . It has a disdain more than an anger to it. There is a groove and hints of melody. The drums are less produced than I expected.When I get into the winding riffs of This album does have a rawer element than their more recent stuff. The guitar gets adventurous in their use of melody.The drumming begins to really take off in this song. Some of the more angular mathematical riffs clutter up the energy . The drums do work best in some of the more groove oriented sections of dissonance. The hooky riffs are why it beat Eye of Nix.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/08/satyricon-deep-calleth-upon-deep.html

2-Wolves in the Throne Room- "Thrice Woven" 

 Wolves in the Throne Room is back to a more unabashed embracing of black metal. In doing so this doesn't mean that are being enslaved to blast beats or ignoring some of the things from their more experimental leanings that have made them who they are . Six albums and fourteen years invested in this , they have a clear understanding as to who they want to be in the present moment and continue to invoked the feeling of their surroundings.This album owes more to Ulver and Darkthrone than it does Godspeedyoublackemperor!,I think it's solid triumph in the band returning to old stomping grounds in a way that is not mired in nostalgia for what was 14 years ago while still giving their early fans what they have been wanting. The big sonic scope of this album is why it beat out Satyricon.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/09/wolves-in-throne-room-thrice-woven.html

1- Tombs- the Grand Annihilation" 

 Any questions regarding Tombs legitimacy as black metal is cleared the fuck up right from the first few notes. The guitar tone peels your faces off and leaves you a bloody stain on the all behind you.  Mike Hill's growl has a Neurosis like rasp to it when they song slows down as the lyrics are articulated. The songs are all respectable lengths rarely venturing over the seven minute mark.This is a more metallic effort than "All Empires Fall". The chords sometimes dip into the shadows , but darkness is not as pervading. If you thought the more post-punk elements were diluting the more metallic properties the front end of the album is up in you as metal as it gets. Then if your tastes fall more on the dark side as mine do than you have to hang on and your get that too. I like both elements so in the end I am happy, it's the weight of the album's darkness that puts this at number one.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/tombs-grand-annihilation.html

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Top 10 Metal Albums of 2017... so Far

Where has 2017 gone? It seems like the year has passed us by in a cloud of internet hatred and bickering. So with that comes the need for heavy music. Black Metal, Doom, Death Metal and Thrash are all represented to some extent. The number one slot was determined by what Last Fm said I listened to the most. If you want to check out more on any of the following bands just use the link to the review. At the end of the day we shall see how these albums hold up over the next six months. So far only the top five still maintain their spots in my Ipod, though that is not to say I won't go back and give the others another listen.

10- Ever Circling Wolves -"Of Woe, or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Gloom"

This band from Finland is certainly worth championing due to their originality. This doesn't mean they have forsaken key components for metal and twisted them into something no recognizable to the average metal head in a Morbid Angel t-shirt. After a three minute introductory instrumental that throw some melodic death metal at you that is mid to doom paced. The organic guitar tones allow the riffs to breathe and the notes to remain distinguishable. This album's production certainly lends it self to supporting their adventurous style of songwriting.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/01/ever-circling-wolves-of-woe-or-how-i.html

9-Emptiness-"For Music"

Wow! these guys are so different from anything out there the newness is easy to get immersed in. To the point the first song just sounded awesome because it didn't sound like anything in recent memory so it won me over without me ever stopping to ask is this song good. There is more groove to "It Might Be". Twiggy Ramirez produced this and I am not sure why Marilyn Manson hasn't been letting him handled everything .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/01/emptiness-for-music.html

8- Ragana -You Take Nothing"

This two piece out of Oakland has returned with a moodier yet more feral vision of black metal mixed with crust. "To Leave" places more emphasis on atmosphere and ringing guitar melodies than the more deliberate opener. They do blast off towards the end of the second song. One thing they have going for them is their songs are very concise and streamlined never feeling like bloated drones. The two longest songs are six and a half minutes.These gals prove they are capable of hitting you with varied colors and tempos.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/04/ragana-you-take-nothing.html


7-Volur -"Ancestors"

The Canadian doom project features the Bass player from Blood Ceremony. Germanic chants coast over very melodic bass playing  drivings the song. It takes a minute to realize that the Guitar is not sitting back it's actual the violin occupying the space a guitar would sit order to create the atmosphere. They have a very unique sound that drones ,but is so pleasing to the ears that it doesn't bore you.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/volur-ancestors.html

6- Samsara - "When the Soul Leaves the Body"



Slovakian metal is gaining ground now when it comes to doom. The proof lies in this band Samsara who has a big majestic sound, when they pick up the pace into a chug the results are without a doubt powerful. This is poised to be be one of the best doom albums of the year.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/samsara-when-soul-leaves-body.html

5-Bathsheba- "Servus"

Here is the doom I have been looking for. These are the thoughts inspired by the weighty riffs that opens the new album from this Belgian band. The fact the clean vocals are so dominate works for me  she can pull out some more snarled harsher vocals , which are effectively used. The pace picks up out of the realms of doom into something more blast beaten  when it slows down into a more deliberate and powerful drive it should make you  believer.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/01/bathsheba-servus.html

4-Pallbearer -"Heartless".

So things continue to change The vocals are even more upfront in the mix on this one. As they should be as the vocals are really killing it, though the guitar is taking a back seat that makes me think this album might be heavier if they were pushed forward or maybe I am not listening to it loud enough yet. "Thorns' is a logical step from where they were on "Foundations of Burden". There are plenty of those angular riffs snaking themselves around the songs .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/pallbearer-heartless.html

 

3-Loss- Horizonless

So here is everything you liked about “Despond” , but made heavier by fuller production. The guttural gurgle of vocals remains, but over the course of the album more vocal colors have been added. There is a  more scathing higher pitched black metal like snarl that explodes out of " the Joy of All Who Sorrow". They even give me the creepy  lower  baritone that I grew up loving as a poor goth child. This album is a triumph by the band and everything I can want out of this brand of doom.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/loss-horizonless.html

 

 2 - Tombs -"The Grand Annihilation"

 I think it's obvious that this is the soundtrack the world needs right now. The album is almost split into two parts on the front end If you thought the more post-punk elements were diluting the more metallic properties then make most mistake this part of the  album is up in you as metal as it gets. Then if your tastes fall more on the dark side as mine do than you have to hang on and your get that too.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/tombs-grand-annihilation.html

1- Goatwhore-"Vengeful Ascension"

 They continue to kill it on their 7th album.>Sure there is not a wild deviation from their sound, but the song writing is more focused and highlights the band's strength and energy. This might also be one of the band's most melodic albums. It seems like they have more readily embraced their death metal side. So in the swirl of hybrid sub-genres that make this band up death metal is the predominant ingredient this go around. The second song "Under the Flesh, Into the Soul" finds more of the blackened thrash like sound that has colored the past two albums. There are some pretty hooky riffs, and it would make you think that my rule of "cool riffs alone , don't make a good song" would hit a band like this hard. This is not the case as a key component to their song writing is having every thing is the perfect place.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/goatwhore-vengeful-ascension.html

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Ragana : " You Take Nothing"

This two piece out of Oakland has returned with a moodier yet more feral vision of black metal mixed with crust. "To Leave" places more emphasis on atmosphere and ringing guitar melodies than the  more deliberate opener. They do blast off towards the end of the second song. One thing they have going for them is their songs are very concise and streamlined never feeling like bloated drones. The two longest songs are six and a half minutes.

These gals prove they are capable of hitting you with varied colors and tempos. Lyrically I had heard they were angry about the state of politics. This presented with a haze of metaphors rather than going the more punk route of shoving their bitching down your throat. There used to be more of a neo-folk element, that is gone though there are some clean vocals going into the song "Winter's Light". This is interrupted by a blast of black metal that races into the song.

I like the more sludged out melancholy of  "Destroyer". The vocals are screamed with even more menace here. Her delivery on the chorus is one of the more effective uses of harsh vocals that I have heard recently as the cadence still accents everything as needed. The guitar riff to the verse of "Somewhere" is more like indie rock. The way the vocals urgently plea against the riffs makes this one of the albums strongest songs. The album ends with the title track that is ominous and darker than most of the previous songs which already have a gray shroud over them. Vocally there is more of  crust calling out to the void. There is a little bit of a drone to this one , but it is effective as the song keeps moving and the change of the vocals toward the end really make a difference. I don't care about what inspired this album only that the song writing has really stepped up and even though it might not be as black metal as their earlier releases its quality songwriting that counts. I'll give it a 9.5 The vinyl version of this album is already sold out but you can buy the digital version on places like their Bandcamp.

The Top 10 Stoner / Sludge Metal Albums of 2015

As the title of this list suggests some of these albums are stoner metal, some are sludge, but even within the confines of those two sub-genres these bands often push the bounds. Some also add elements of post-rock, doom, black metal and straight up rock n roll. While Sludge is heavier and grittier than stoner metal, we are not accepting just straight up Sabbath worship so there is more common ground than just sharing the bong, though that can not hurt to help ingest these albums to there full potential, though I can attest to the fact that they can be just as potent in an unaltered state. To get a taste click on the review link.

 10-He Whose Ox is Gored: "the Camel the Lion the Child"

 This Seattle band has been called progressive doom gaze, but progressive sludge is more apt to describe their sound. They often go from Isis like bellowing to a monotone chant that indie minded metal bands like Jesu use , but these are harmonized making them thicker. They have a great guitar tone and the album is really well produced with their drummer really knowing how to get the groove and play around it.They eventually come to a place of slinky atmospherics with higher androgynous vocals that bring to mind Circa Survive . At times this band comes across as a more mature and thoughtful version of the prog-minded emo bands that came out in the last days of Myspace. This albums takes a few listens to finally sink in, but when it does you will find it work the wait.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/he-whose-ox-is-gored-camel-lion-child.html

9- Sans Soleil: "A Holy Land Beneath a Godless Sky"

  Beautifully mournful in it's melancholy, my first impression of this band was that they bordered on funereal doom. This Texas band carries you off into a four song excursion  that flows like an  ocean of tranquil despair.The narrative voice of the album is a viola that drips off  of the riffs.If you were  digest this album as if it were  a strictly a metal affair, you might notice that the void left by the absent vocals. The  arrangements keep this missing component well hidden. If this was funereal doom band the guttural gravel of phlegm drenched vocal chords would actually be another layer to the bottom end. The viola instead of trying to replace the vocals occupies that space the lead guitar melody would sit in. The spacious sound could edge this towards being post-rock, as an instrumental project they ravish a similar sonic sphere as Godspeedyoublackemperor. As the aural journey progresses  their trip takes a  darker turn. The bass player drifts  into a stoned jam of his own wandering around under the guitar solo, that rips like 70's freedom rock.They lack the mournful tone of doom , but trippy and aggressive enough to belong here, though metal heads will need to have broadened horizons to embrace this album.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/01/sans-soleila-holy-land-beneath-godless.html

8- Serial Hawk -"Searching For Light"

 With the heavy legacy of grunge haunting their homestead, this Seattle takes an approach more akin to the Melvins and Tad than any of their flannel clad forefathers. The vocals are forced out in a throaty shout, with the guitars being the focus of more melody. The bass and drums work together as a punishing unit with machine like precision. They are oppressive like sludge rather than invoking the morbid sense of loss of doom. The pace lumbers with the liberate stomp of a juggernaut. They are heavy, but not weighed down with the typical trappings of metal.I think these guys captured what they do best in the studio and look forward to hearing where they go from here. These guys are just as good as anything else along these lines I have heard from bands backed by records labels so someone is really losing out on a ton of potential until these guys are picked up, I guess for what ever a record label is worth these days if anything.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/serial-hawk-searching-for-light.html

7- Vaee Solis:" Adversarial Light "

 This band from Portugal takes some of the most hateful vocals to touch a microphone and throws them against some depraved riffs to make for music that brings an uneasy feeling when you are listening to it alone .  The production that makes this possible is impeccable and milks the most anguish out of their performance as possible. The initial slap of this band is powerful, but how well can they you in this mental state for the duration of the album or do we just go back to color by numbers metal?  Equal parts sludge and doom. The have the disdain for melody that a band like Eyehategod possess , but less of the punk aesthetic and a heavier  emotional presence . They use some of  tricks from the ultimate book of  doom metal, but molest them with their malicious intentions. Though some of the songs seem to drag at times this is the only one that goes past the nine minute mark. I have gotten tired of some of the twelve plus minute epics so many bands to so these guys keep that normally reigned in, but if you are going to write a long song you have to have the dynamics to make it pay off. They beat the dead horse in manner that can be pleasing to morbid ears.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/vaee-solis-adversarial-light.html

- Wand: "Golem"

 I have been over the so called "occult rock" bandwagon for some time now,  which was also known as vest metal, the Devil's Blood influenced the sound of many of those bands, the formula was retro fuzzed guitar and a female singer. It was stoner rock of a different color and dressed up in pentagram etched bell-bottoms. So this California band, who might not fit neatly into that scene , though carries a similar sound, gets credit for grabbing my ear. Wand released  this album on an imprint of Ty Segall's Drag City label. The feature an ex-member of Pangea, if that matters to you. They get called garage rock and while there is that sort of sound to the drums, they are more entrenched in psychedelia with an almost metal thump to the bass lines. The real question you might want to ask yourself as how far down the rabbit hole do you want to go. It might not be your thing if you have never done drugs before, I recommend starting with pot and working work way up, but you don't have to plunge your self into a Fear and Loathing lifestyle to enjoy "Golem", but it would be a whole lot cooler if you did.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/wand-golem.html

5-Clutch: "Psychic Warfare"

 These guys have been at it for a while now and have developed more of straight up rock fee and less of the bouncing , chanting stoner version of nu-metal they came out with in the 90s. They know how to write a catchy chorus and doesn't take long to hear how these guys have made the name for themselves. Singer Neil Fallon throws his voice around with tons of personality.They knowingly wink at their influences ZZ- Top and If I still smoked pot I am sure they album would sound all the better , but even as is it grew on me as these guys really crafted this well.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/clutch-psychic-warfare.html

4- Windhand : "Grief's Eternal Flower"

 This is the third full length from a band who has been the darlings of the metal blog-o-sphere since hitting the scene. On this album they have begun to move out from behind the altar of  Black Sabbath not the fuzzed out but carrying a hypnotic quality to the rumbling drone they kick up . The melodies seem more secure in their languid state and provide the needed sheen over the blown out distortion coming from the amps. The powerful vibrations the first song hits you with causes a similar reach most extreme metal also solicits in that you are wowed by the power so it doesn't matter how good the actual song is if the sound that hits you is solid.They begin sounding less like doom and more like grunge , namely Screaming Trees. It actually benefits this band that level of Black Sabbath worship has decreased and singer Dorthia Cottrell is really coming into her own as a singer and finding her identity, I suppose the solo album helped get her to this place. While some might consider this band to be doom, I am so used to listening to darker drearier funeral doom, until it feel more like sludged out stoner rock. They impressed me this time around and I looked forward to hearing here they go from here.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/windhand-greifs-infernal-flower.html

3- Irreversible- S/T

 Even though these are guys are from my current city of residence I am not going any easier on them than I would any other band.The Atlanta sludge band has been around for  a decade now so they have time to hone their sound. Like most Atlanta metal bands they started off with more punk roots and later morphed into something more metallic until now they share a similar landscape to their sound as Isis. After a wash of atmospheric sounds the almost math rock of "Undertow" lurches into motion. This album is very well produced for an independent release. The first vocals to surface are some monotone Jesu like cleans.The drummer is not a slouch either.Some of the more chuggy moments, barrow from the pillars of the genre all the bands like Isis that engaged in Neurosis worship in the early 2000s. Some times the tightness even creates a Tool like feel.This is one of the few local bands that makes me want to leave the couch with this album and go check them out, fans of sludge and post-rock should not miss this one.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/irreversible-st.html

2- Ragana :"Wash Away"

 There is a slight touch of black metal to these gals , but it's when they lock into the crusty bong loaded grooves that this album soar. Sometimes tribal in it's lumber they coast into hypnotic riffs with the vocals screaming over it. The folkish vibe of the earlier work now gives way to more of an indie rock feel. There is a vast growth in their songwriting as it's both delicate and dynamic. At times it might remind you of Kylesa's more atmospheric wanderings, flowing back and forth from the slow to soft dynamic very smoothly despite the jarring nature.They pull very emotionally raw and organic tones out of their guitars in almost a grunge like manner , though this is mixed with almost early post hardcore while lingering around a melancholy throb of guitar. If you have not heard this band do yourself a favor and click on the link below, they will go down as the years most under rated band.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/ragana-wash-away.html

1- Kylesa : "Exhausting Fire" These Savannah rockers continue to evolve, in someways that makes them progressive , since they are not where I first found them when I picked up a copy of "To Walk a Middle Course" ten years ago. There sludge roots are still intact but they have enough dark psychedelics is place to appeal to the hesher sect. They used to cover Pink Floyd, so this side of the band should come as not surprise.  Laura's vocals which have continues to grow sometimes take on a more Siouxsie like croon to them. There are plenty of balls this times around injected to these heavy grooves. After a dazed and glazed cover of the Sabbath classic "Paranoid" the path of the band is best in explained in the lyrics of the closing song where Laura says she is throwing caution to the wind and taking her chances again here. Even when they wander off into a more heady direction the bass line holds down the fort, until they bring the smack down the happy ending that blazes out with solos in true rock god/goddess fashion. Another moment of triumph for this band. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/kylesa-exhausting-fire.html

Ragana : "Wash away"

It's not until the clean vocals in the openers final moments that this sounds like the band I once knew.I had begun clicking around the inner webs to make sure I downloaded the right album.  The first few bars of the song start off melodic and then build in intensity until it's quickly closer to black metal for the first verse. Then they coast into a more hypnotic riff with the vocals screaming over it. They led off the title track with sung vocals are closer to returning to the sound of their earlier work but it also carries more  an indie rock feeling to them than the more folk vibe they seemed to have had going for them. The song slowly winds up into an impressive display of songwriting that is both delicate and dynamic. At times I can hear some of Kylesa more atmospheric wanderings in their sound, though that might be more of my ear then their actual influence. "Nameless Constellation"slowly winds out of a reluctant clean guitar tone. It pounds into a scream and retracts back into a more subtle pattern. It flows back and forth from the slow to soft dynamic very smoothly despite the jarring nature.

 While the black metal label might have been more easily associated with them on their previous album , here not so much , though that is not a bad thing as there is audible growth in the songwriting department.Sometimes her more wretched vocals are worthy of black metal , but their playing sounds better at the almost doomy pulse of songs like "Alive" . Although being an album of contradictions this is also the song that accelerates into something closest to black metal. They pull some very emotionally raw and organic tones out of their guitars in almost a grunge like manner , though this is mixed with almost early post hardcore. On "Tired" the band  lingers around a melancholy throb of guitar that her vocals cry out from behind. They allow the song to drift on a very contemplative minimalist riff before swelling into something more metallic.

They close out the album with more folk infused darkness of "the Field ". This song drones on until the throat shredding vocals come in add some intensity. This album is different from what I expected from them but in the end I was happily surprised as it surpassed my expectations and became something with much more depth than being just a metal band. We could get in an endless debate about what is metal and whats not , i'll just say if Agalloch are metal than these guys are as well. Though Agalloch might indulge in more blatant metal moments.I'll round this album up to a 10 as the some I listen the more I like it.