I knew absolutely nothing about Toronto trio A Flock Named Murder or their label, Hypaethral Records, other than they play post/atmospheric black metal, which has kind of been my jam lately, so I randomly grabbed the promo.

Then, because I’m a goddamn professional (sometimes) I actually did some research on the band, only to find out that two of the three members were in the now-defunct Vela Pulsar, who delivered a killer EP I enjoyed back in 2020 called Memoirs of Unbecoming. The world works in mysterious ways.

So here is the second album from these guys, (their debut  An Appointed Time was released back in 2018) and like the members former projects, its s fucking stellar example of post/atmopheric/cascadian black metal and its must have for fans of Wolves in the Throne Room, Agalloch, Obsidian Tongue, Numeron, Falls of Rauros, Alda, Downfall of Gaia, Infer Bruo and such.

With 4 songs lasting 65 enthralling minutes, covering all the tropes used by the bands above; lengthy songs, moody builds, acoustic/atmospheric bridges, jangly 6/8 riffs, pained screeches, Incendiary Sanctum just hits all the right notes for the style and genre. But these guys have that earthier, grainier, organic sound as opposed to a crystal clear, processed sound.

The 14+ minute opener “Garden of Embers” is a near-perfect example of the style right out of the gate, with a moody build, galloping 6/8 climactic riff, and swaying close out to die for.

Second track “Pierced Flesh Catharsis” has some gruffer death metal vocals initially, but the riff that kicks in a minute and a half in is top notch, and the mid-song strumming bridge is a perfect mid-song break before the riff explodes at 8:37. The songs ends with a plodding, methodical pace, that isn’t quite up to par though.

The album’s 19-minute centerpiece, “The Eulogy Fields,” transitions straight from the prior track, and at 1:38 (and again later a few times) has yet another perfect 6/8 melodic layered riff that wilts my knees. It’s soooo fucking good. And that’s only 2/3s of the song. The rest of the song is more restrained and moody.

Closer “To Drown in Obsidian Tides” builds patiently and is a slow burn for most of its 17-minute rune time, but you know something is coming. And at 12:53 it does, with a searingly perfect melodic 6/8 gallop that just hits perfectly….again. And as most in the genre, the track and album ends by collapsing on an introspective cool down.

Incendiary Sanctum has been one of my favorite albums in the genre since Alda’s A Distant Fire back in 2021, and going to be one of the very best albums of this year in this style, up there with Drouth’s The Teeth of Time and Ba’al’s The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here.

Now, Vallendusk – where is your new album at?

[Visit the band's website]

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