While there are countless downsides to the hellish technology we call the internet, the global reach it provides is an undoubted positive to the metal scene at large — it’s so easy to discover incredible music not only made in the furthest corners of the world, but also in our own relative backyards. The Mosaic Window is a one-man act from fellow SoCal resident Andrew Brown; sophomore full-length Hemasanctum sees Brown building upon the solid foundations built by last year’s Plight of Acceptance, upping the ante in terms of production but more importantly songwriting. The result is a great piece of melodic death/black metal that proves this act is another rising star to keep an eye on.

As an extremely naive teenager I was a bit disappointed at first to discover The Black Dahlia Murder’s Nocturnal wasn’t a black metal album at all; “but Necrolord did the album art, and they have ‘black’ in their name!” I thought. Well over 15 years later I think I might’ve finally gotten what I asked for. This is a bit reductive in describing Hemasanctum, but you get the surface-level picture. Debut album Plight of Acceptance was a bit rough around the edges both sonically and structurally, but showed a lot of promise with its catchy leads and crushing riffs. I’m happy to say that Hemasanctum surpasses in all respects, even if it’s got much more melodeath this time — this comes courtesy of a punchier, less raw mixing job from returning producer Damien Herring of Horrendous. Aiding in the the sonic improvements is a live session drum performance from Gabe Seeber (Abigail Williams, Vale of Pnath, and many more), catapulting the overall sound from good to great.

If opener “Incantation to Summon the Unstable” made me think of a blackened TBDM, “The Pounding of Hooves” perfectly solidifies The Mosaic Window’s newfound death metal cred with its opening trills, galloping chugs, and Gothenburg-style riffing. This song is also one of two(!) that feature legendary King Diamond axeman Andy LaRocque in a guest solo spot; it’s not hard to imagine how much his shredding elevates those particular tracks. The latter track he’s featured on, “Turubilum,” is perhaps my favorite on the whole album — it opens with the infectious melodies that made Plight so great, before going into more traditional speed metal territory, making the LaRocque solos hit even harder. I may have described Hemasanctum as a more death metal affair, but it’s far from lacking in black metal elements. Brown alternates between the two styles effortlessly, and of course there’s enough similarity between the two that the transitions feel natural; single trem-picked notes in a melodeath style versus layered black metal chords are pretty damn close to each other, all things considered.

As if simply improving on what came before wasn’t enough, Brown also beefs up the overall sound with some new songwriting techniques. Slower, crushing moments in tracks such as “Ash Like Anvils” and the final two tracks that are both the longest on the album and the ones most willing to take the time to build up to bigger moments. “Hymn to Silence the Light” in particular is an incredible sendoff to the album, filled to the brim with softer passion and triumphant melody. Whether halfway across the world or just a short distance away, the world of metal grows greater every day. I’m so glad to be privy to witnessing the ascension of such acts as The Mosaic Window.

— Colin

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Hemasanctum will be available November 15 on Willowtip Records. For more information on The Mosaic Window, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.