GLACIAL TOMB has today released their sophomore album, Lightless Expanse, via Prosthetic Records. Accompanying the release, the Denver, CO sludge-corrupted death metal trio has also shared a music video for the title track, directed by Frank Guerra. Lightless Expanse‘s release coincides with GLACIAL TOMB‘s ongoing North American tour dates, with the band set to perform at Piranha Bar in Montreal, QC tonight – full dates and details below.
WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR
LIGHTLESS EXPANSE BELOW.
Stream Lightless Expanse via Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Bandcamp and Spotify.
Order Lightless Expanse here.
Speaking on the title-track, GLACIAL TOMB vocalist / guitarist Ben Hutcherson comments: “The Lightless Expanse is in many ways the counterpart to (previous single) Stygian Abattoir. It is sludgy and suffocating, a meditation on the futility of control and the serenity of nonexistence. I am particularly proud of this guitar solo, as it is the emotional apex of the song as well as the melodic capstone of the album itself. The resolution of the song, wherein we return to the opening motif, parallels the journey in the album’s lyrics. As the stars disappear from the skies above us, will we find peace in the inevitable silence of nothingness,in the knowledge that the otherwise- inescapable curse of suffering has ended? Or is that end an illusion as well? Does it ever truly end?”
Invigorated by new bass player David Small’s presence, the group meticulously crafted Lightless Expanse throughout 2021 and 2022. Founding members Ben Hutcherson and Michael Salazar (drums) embraced the new dynamic and fresh musical perspective Small brought to the band, with Hutcherson and Small’s work together in Khemmis no doubt fueling their creative alchemy.
The resulting album is an unflinching examination of the horrors of existence, captured with authenticity and meticulous attention to detail. The songs were produced and engineered by Hutcherson, with drums recorded at The Band Cave in Denver and everything else tracked at his home studio. In an era of hyper-quantized, soulless extreme music that prioritises perfection above all else, the trio rehearsed relentlessly throughout 2022 before they began tracking in Spring 2023. They enlisted the renowned mixing and mastering skills of Arthur Rizk to realise their collective vision for this record.
The narrative arc that runs through the nine blistering tracks juxtaposes everyday suffering with nigh-ineffable cosmic horror; mental illness, grief, social isolation, and a longing for meaning all take the form of celestial beings and deific machinations. Hutcherson’s lyrics are inspired by writers such as Thomas Ligotti, Philipp Mainländer, Peter Wessel Zapffe, and Alan Watts. These bleak themes are wrapped up in a bruising package of dissonant death metal intensity, shot through with a flourish of black metal grandiosity. Whilst the aforementioned dedication to arranging things ‘just so’ gives a technical and cerebral edge to their sound, the choruses are laden with soaring melodic hooks, satisfying the most riff-hungry amongst us. GLACIAL TOMB refuses to fit neatly within the parameters of any one genre, and their sound is all the richer for it. Lightless Expanse is a multi-layered exploration of heavy metal in all its complex and cathartic glory.
Lightless Expanse Tracklist:
1. Stygian Abattoir
2. Voidwomb
3. Enshrined in Concrete
4. Abyssal Host
5. Sanctuary
6. Seraphic Mutilation
7. Worldsflesh
8. Wound of Existence
9. The Lightless Expanse
Upcoming GLACIAL TOMB live shows:
September 20 – Piranha Bar – Montreal, QC
September 21 – Palladium – Worcester, MA (New England Metal and Hardcore Fest)
September 22 – The Lost Horizon – Syracuse, NY
September 23 – Preserving Underground – Pittsburgh, PA
September 24 – Magoo’s – Bedford Park , IL
September 25 – 1867 Bar – Lincoln, NE
December 7 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO (Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest)
GLACIAL TOMB is:
Ben Hutcherson – Guitar/Vocals
Mike Salazar – Drums
David Small – Bass
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