Here is my first album review of 2024. Things are changing for this band as they are now joined by the former Eight Bells bassist and the drummer from Tithe. After a blues-touched melodic intro, they gallop into a more commanding mood, with snarled vocals that still articulate the lyrics. Not only a bass player Alyssa lends her voice to the closing refrain of the first song. This gives things a wider range of sonic colors. Tmost the second song proves their intents are most focused on creating metal. The vocals go into more of a death metal rasp. There is a more aggressive touch to things. Both Neurosis and Mastodon could be cited as influences on the tension their riffs inspire. I do like the darker underpinnings this invokes. They continue to incorporate a death metal attack when they step on the gas.
"Unto Becoming" is the first song where sung vocals are a focal point. This is done in a dramatic baritone that reminds me a little of Dead Register. He builds this into the more trademark scowl. "Final Push into the Sun" is more of a thrashing affair, which does not feel like it plays to the strengths of who they are as a band, as a ton of bands already have this sort of thing covered. The proggy middle section works well but could have been employed in a song that fully realized who they are as a band. They do employ some cool sounds, and I enjoy the actual singing, as well as the melodic guitar solos. "Dancing on Emptiness' is similar though less thrashing and the formula that feels like it is being established here, makes this feel like they are a proggy sludge version of Tombs, using almost gothy explorations of shadow to juxtaposition the metal meat of the songs. This works for me since I like things darker. I could even stand to have dialed back a smidge for some of the more grandiose sections.
When they go into the more death metal mood of "Facing the Incomprehensible" things flow in a more effective direction as it feels in line with what they do, and darker dynamics flow from it almost like Paradise Lost. It is actually one of the album's most impressive songs. "A Bond Broken by Death" finds it hard to think of these guys as a sludge band since the progressive elements are now taking center stage. Highly melodic, but not really that hooky, it still is an entertaining song. It almost makes me think of Pain of Salvation in places, when it borders more on rock. There is a more melancholic Pink Floyd feel to "Break in the Clouds". It reminds of me mid-90s European metal. It builds really well with the drums delivering the goods here.
They go with a straight-up death metal feel on "Soul Metamorphosis" that has enough angular tension to keep things going in the right direction of weird. To contrast there is more of a soaring goth feel to "Swimming in the Abscence" that is counterbalanced with a black gaze-like energy in the background. They find things at a similar sonic space with the closing song that blends the moody baritone croon against the backdrop of a more black gaze influence brand of metal. This works really well, and while this is a more thought out and polished effort that might find some screaming sell-outs, I think it is the next logical step pf growth for the band and will give this a 9.5. The album is being released on MNRK Heavy on January 18th.
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