The very nature of the metal world is to experiment with everything that’s come before in order to create something new, unique, or simply something that feels even the slightest bit different. It’s what has kept the genre going for decades for many of us as metal has become one of the most diverse sounds in the entire world of music with very few others being able to compare, yet it’s even to today that we are able to bear witness to select pioneers that dare to continue that trend. Eight Bells has been one such band since their inception and has been on my radar since their last effort with their upcoming creation being a wait that was beyond worth it.

While the very core of what Eight Bells has become since the release of “Landless” six years ago feels derivative of progressive doom metal that I cannot help but still feel to what’s brought forth for “Legacy of Ruin”, it would be a tremendous overstatement to label Eight Bells as “simply” progressive doom and call it a day at that. Pick any track off this album. Instantly, you should see that Eight Bells is far more than just that. This is the kind of release that does nothing but ultimate glory for the experimental fans throughout the world of metal as it’s even though these six tracks never go into the fantastically weird realms of what metal can effortlessly become, but, rather, Eight Bells keeps everything in the realms of the relatively normal while still managing to provide us with an aural experience the likes of which cannot be considered anything less than transcendent. A true menagerie of all that metal can be in its many, many different forms, the very essence of “Legacy of Ruin” feels like a love letter to the persistence of the style as it always strives to craft something new and unique with this effort, in particular, giving us an utterly gorgeous rendition that has so many layers to it that so much as even ten spins wouldn’t offer up everything that’s to be discovered within the LP.

This is the kind of release that makes us realize what art can really be. This is the kind of release that inspires. This is the kind of album that sticks with you. This is the kind of release that should propel Eight Bells as one of the modern names of metallic wonder that we should consider ourselves lucky to witness. In no small way, this is the kind of record that leaves you picking your jaw off the floor. In every way, “Legacy of Ruin” is a gorgeous effort that does no less than grace the ears and bewilders the very soul. Without question, Eight Bells should be wondrously proud of themselves for this massive creation.

“Legacy of Ruin” releases on February 25th via Prophecy Productions!

LISTEN to singles from “Legacy of Ruin” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Eight Bells on Facebook here.