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There haven’t been many other obscure acts that I like to keep my eyes peeled for than Canyon of the Skull as they’ve been an act for years now that I’ve enjoyed listening to very much. Their incredible niche sound of instrumental doom/drone metal is something that I always enjoy immersing myself in with their demo being what caught me on, and it was with “The Desert Winter” just a few years ago that made me realize the true potential that this band has. I already had one instrumental doom act planned for my year-end list, but it’s this surprising effort that Canyon of the Skull may just be added to that short list.

The increase of quality from the demo to “The Desert Winter” is extremely obvious and still leaves a damn good impression every time I listen to it, so I was very excited to see where Canyon of the Skull was going to go with this new album after a small line-up change and the addition of a third member. What ensued is no less than the most mature and fleshed out work that we’ve seen from this band to date and the pair of tracks that we’re treated to here are works that are to get lost in and to experience their speechless tales that can always be brought back to the stories of Native Americans. “Sins of the Past” is a very historical listen that bears more research into that I heavily suggest you do when experiencing the dry heaviness that Canyon of the Skull brings within this barely hour-long album, and it absolutely smashes for every minute of that runtime! As you might imagine with such a style like this, it’s best to just lean back and just let the material take you wherever you may and “Sins of the Past” only further glorifies that fact as we’re granted long, drawn-out rhythms that are just as harsh as they are hypnotic that do their best to not just entrance the listener but also keep them guessing as to where the ceremonies will lead next. Both songs here are greatly conceptual and incredibly enthralling for anyone willing to sit through these harsh lessons in history as they aren’t just speechless records of a group of people whose legacy has been misappropriated and endangered for centuries now, but also great works of the style that do nothing but justice for the small corner of metal that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as quality works like this should.

People tend to think of Earth or Sunn O))))) when they think about the realms of drone, but for me, it’s easily Canyon of the Skull that will always be the first band that I think of for the style with their grand level of excellence that they’ve constantly brought to the table at this point to deliver us works of increasing quality that cannot be underestimated in power and scale. They do nothing but justice for the preservation of the cultures of Indigenous Americans and it’s with “Sins of the Past” that their work has reached a clear peak of excellence that’s a must-hear experience for anyone who considers themselves a fan of anything related to drone.

“Sins of the Past” releases on November 20th!

LISTEN to the first song, “The Ghost Dance”, on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Canyon of the Skull on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Canyon of the Skull on Twitter: @canyondoom