Whether or not we want to talk about it, there’s a subconscious race within the world of doom that extends to its more ambitious counterpart of drone that many musicians are part of even if they reject such a notion: the race to be the most long-winded, heaviest, and exquisite act out there in such a form that is uniquely their own and no one else’s. It’s in the world of drone that such a thing becomes much easier to achieve given how much more room there is in the style compared to doom, and when it comes to talented acts that bring all sorts of new flavors to the table, it’s with Dark Buddha Rising that we get one of the absolute best examples possible.

Of all the bands that I look forward to seeing come back in order to bring even more glory to the world of drone with a beyond unique sound that captures the imagination from its special sound to its downright bone-crushing style that permeates the very soul, Dark Buddha Rising has to be damn near the top of that list, and I know for a fact I’m not alone in thinking that. This band has been on the rise for years now with their dark style becoming better and better with their shamanistic routes tying gorgeously with the heaviness and massive presence that this band commands at all times, and it’s in every minute of their fresh effort that is “Mathreyata” that we see this band arguably at their best. Everything that adorns this record is far from anything new that we haven’t heard before from the likes of this act, but their skill is no less than deadly as they’ve been sharpening their skill with each release to now wield a sword that is no less massive as it is bloodthirsty. Through a tremendous understanding of the art of the slow burn, tribal influences that are beyond provocative, and captivating songwriting across several minutes, “Mathreyata” quickly becomes a behemoth of a record in its own right in every form as Dark Buddha Rising crushes the listener in pure power the likes of which we don’t often see with such potency and quality going hand in hand with it, but that’s just one of the things that has always made this act such a fascinating one to behold right from the onset of their catalog. Every facet of this record immediately makes it one of the must-hear albums of its style that any fan of drone must hear before they let it pass them by lest you find yourself wondering where you were when the glory came from well after it has passed you for even greater horizons.

Drone has long been a sound that almost feels made to be hard to get into given the standards that it goes by, but it’s thanks to bands like Dark Buddha Rising that the limits for the style are always stretching outward to make the whole of drone seem as though it has infinite potential of all kinds from all sides from all across the globe. Everything about “Mathreyata” brings together what we have always loved about this band, the style, and the potential that it constantly holds for it’s in these monolithic four tracks that we’ve gotten something that is almost beyond description when it comes to how truly special it is.

“Mathreyata” releases on November 13th!

LISTEN to “Mathreyata” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Dark Buddha Rising on Facebook here.