A Storm of Light – Anthroscene (Review)

This is the fifth album from US post-metal band A Storm of Light.

Here we have 51 minutes of music that mixes metal, post-metal, punk, doom, quasi-industrial, and progressive metal. That’s right, it’s quite a mix, but the band pull it off remarkably well.

Apocalyptically intense and rhythmically claustrophobic, there’s a lot going on across these eight songs. This is a band that may display various influences from decades past, but deliver their songs in a heartfelt and emotive way that speaks of a collective personality all of their own.

The music mixes angst-ridden introspection with darkly harsh blunt-nosed aggression, all capped off with some largely 90s-era grunge-style clean vocals. There’s a lot of different dynamics at play across these songs, and each has its own character, although they’re all drawn together by a common theme and feel.

Compared to how much I like this band’s early work, 2013’s Nations to Flames left me largely – disappointingly and surprisingly – cold. As such, I admit to having relatively low expectations when first approaching Anthroscene. Well, now I’ve absorbed it, I’m very glad that there’s nothing to be disappointed about with the band’s latest album. Anthroscene is a very effective and compelling piece of work, one which mirrors the self-destructive nature of many of the world’s current events, and demonstrates frustration, lack of hope, and anger that’s been productively channelled into emotive and potent music.

Very highly recommended.