Truly, without a doubt, whenever I think about the slowly expanding world of post-doom and all the glory that it can throw at our way at any time, Daxma is easily one of the bands that I think of every time I come upon a new act. With a bombastic albeit a small number of releases since the name change four years ago, Daxma has quickly and rightfully made a name for themselves as one of the most compelling acts in a style that’s always begging for more in every department with Daxma delivering beautifully every time it’s their turn in the spotlight. The news of a fresh record from the Californian quintet immediately piqued my interest with the prospect of their sophomore full-length all but fascinating, and it’s in every possible aspect they show us what they’re capable of.

My first impressions with Daxma came from their utterly masterful EP “Ruins Upon Ruins” that still holds a special place both in my heart and on my wall, but I could not help but sit here and wonder in the two years since that release what Daxma could possibly bring forward on their next effort that could not only top such a treat of a record but offer us the next step in the band’s evolution. The very announcement of “Unmarked Boxes” and the lead single that came with it was more than enough to capture my attention, but it’s the utter whole of this record that shows us that Daxma has yet again brought their game to the maximum with these six tracks undeniably the best that the band has crafted to date. The true glory of “Unmarked Boxes” to me comes in the waves of heaviness that’s always wreathed in an alluring ethereal aura as it excels at giving the entirety of the album an otherworldly feel to everything that it brings forth as Daxma brought their A-game in the very first stages when it came to the crafting of the record, but it is by the ending of the process to bring this experience to life that it’s clear without a shadow of a doubt that Daxma truly went to another plane altogether to execute what they have here. Expansive skies swept across vast landscapes that feel constantly changing yet filled with an ancient, stubborn stillness that permeates every fiber of its being with it all paired with a level of craftsmanship that’s as bold as it is immersive in its many colors, and it’s imbued with such wondrous magic that once you dip your toes into the beautiful, ethereal realm that is “Unmarked Boxes” then you’ll care not for why those boxes are unmarked but, rather, seeing only the majesty they contain within.

I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that this was one of my last and highly anticipated albums before we reach the end of the year, yet it is clear to me now that not much could’ve properly paired me for what Daxma has wrought here in all of its glory, intelligence, beauty, and raw evocative auras. Any fan of anything related to atmospheric doom, post-doom, epic doom, or whatever it is you want to call it and everywhere in between should find themselves utterly in love with everything that “Unmarked Boxes” brings before our eyes here with this surely just being another brick of the road to true glory for the rising masters that make up Daxma.

“Unmarked Boxes” releases on November 19th via Blues Funeral Recordings and Majestic Mountain Records!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Unmarked Boxes” on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.

LIKE Daxma on Facebook here.