One of the more tantalizing acts that doom metal has spawned in recent years is undoubtedly Chrch. I always felt before hearing their debut that Un would hold the chalice and the best doom band with a debut record in 2015, but then I heard the strong argument that was Chrch’s first effort. After vigorous touring and gaining quite the fan base, Chrch has returned with another full-length that’s just as monstrous as its predecessor but more delicious in every other aspect.

The thing that easily drew me to Chrch was their long-winded, epic tracks that showcase plenty of what many people, including myself, actively seek out. It’s always fascinating for me to see how a band can manage to work a 15-minute, 20-minute, 30-minute, or even longer into a multi-track album or as a standalone piece. I firmly believe that Chrch could easily throw down a stupid long track like forty fucking minutes without breaking a sweat, but alas, that is not the case with “Light Will Consume Us All”, but there’s no way to argue against the staggering quality and unbridled heaviness that this behemoth of an album wields with an iron fist! Just from going from their debut, “Unanswered Hymns”, to “Light Will Consume Us All” is a massive leap in quality in every direction that Chrch could’ve possibly gone in. While the number of tracks on the album remains the same (three) and the runtime being virtually the same (only a thirteen second difference), the sheer enjoyment and intensity that’s found with this new record is no less than mouth-watering with every new riff being destructively delicious, each piece of atmosphere being masterfully crafted, and everything from the beautifully dynamic vocals to the monstrously crushing instrumentation comes together masterfully with flawless execution. Very few bands manage to impress and then blow people away with their following record, but that’s exactly what Chrch has done here with “Light Will Consume Us All”
being hailed as one of the year’s best of doom already, and it’s not hard to see why.

Chrch definitely caught my eye when they got signed to the ever reputable Neurot Recordings, but I made sure to not let my expectations run wild. Luckily, Chrch succeeded with an indomitable spirit that’s nigh on intoxicating and just one whiff of the excellence that is “Light Will Consume Us All” will surely bring most to stagger from its potency.

LISTEN to “Light Will Consume Us All” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Chrch on Facebook here.