In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter (USUALLY) reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.
We’ve hit the mid point of 2024 and there’s just too much good music out there…none of us can hope to adequately cover it all in any detail, but the hunger to show, to recommend, to shine a light on all that good good metal just won’t leave us be. And so for this edition of Second Circle I want to shine a particular light on an album coming in right aft the end of the first half of the year and one album opening up the second half of the year. Each of these are great and truly worth your time, so let’s dig into the progressive goodness both Hail Spirit Noir and Piah Mater have in store for us.
Time to descend.
– – –
After diving headfirst into post-progressive rock with their last full length Eden in Reverse and then scoring an all-synth horror film it seemed next to impossible to target where Hail Spirit Noir would set their sights for their new album. Fossil Gardens straddles its feet in a number of the Greek band’s previous preoccupations: there’s the foundational black metal (yup, the screams are back) of Mayhem in Blue folks were looking for, but it’s definitely mixed with the progressive and psychedelic touches from the last two albums. So not quite a return to the band’s earlier incarnation, but it’s hard to argue when the results are so good, like the opening track “Storefront Promenade” which brings the fury of blast beats and screams two minutes in, and the traditional (for them) arrangement of “Curse You, Entropia”.
But for my money it’s always been the tracks where the band stretch their wings that are the most rewarding. Early single “The Temple of Curved Space” is everything I want from the band, taking liberal doses of modern Enslaved and sprinkling in their own signature psych tendencies. At just over 10 minutes “The Road to Awe” pretty much covers all the ground the band has covered to date, and injects a healthy amount of Hawkwind space rock to gel it all together, and the closing title track might be one of the best heavy tracks the band has ever done.
Fossil Gardens is out now from Agonia Records. For more information on Hail Spirit Noir, check out their website and Facebook page.
Ever since hearing 2018’s The Wandering Daughter there were two things on my mind: people wondering where they would get their fix of Opeth-style progressive death metal should be eating this like candy, and when were Piah Mater going to release another album? I did what I could to further the first notion, and here the Brazilian part have after six years delivered on the second, and man Under The Shadow of a Foreign Sun does not disappoint. Heavy to the point of breaking, killer death metal growls that can instantly transform into some seriously lovely clean vocals, and a penchant for technical execution that clings to the progressive more than the technical side of death metal make this an instant end of year contender for me.
Six songs, with only the brief interlude “Macaw’s Lament” clocking under eight minutes, this is just a no holds barred continuation of what Opeth were masterminding back in the Ghost Reveries/Watershed years. Opener “As Islands Sink” conjures songs like “The Moor” in the band’s use of repeated motifs and shifting rhythmic patterns to keep each song dancing on the head of a needle. Each track uses the themes of migration, of escape to lyrically drive their point home, but really all you need to hear is the way singer/guitarist Luiz Felipe Netto and fellow guitarist Igor Meira churn out riff after delicious riff. There are shades of other influences, particularly solo Ihsahn, but really this is pure Opeth worship in the best possible way. The Brazilian side shows up as well: closing track “Canícula” is sung in Portuguese and simmers in some traditional folk elements, and the band’s fascination with experimentation also rears its head on “Fallow Garden” with some excellent sax courtesy of Jørgen Munkeby.
I spoke about Piah Mater on our 9C Audio Thing mid-year review and now that it’s finally getting its official release I can’t wait for more people to dig into one of the best albums to come out this year.
Under the Shadow of a Foreign Sun is available July 5 from Code666. For more information on Piah Mater check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.
– – –
Quick and dirty, but also to the point: these albums are for me the bar others have to clear to make to the end of 2024. May they do their best; in the meantime these are going to be on constant rotation at my house…well, they will when my vinyl copies arrive.
Until next time, keep it heavy…keep it safe.
– Chris
Leave a Reply