On the fringes of every style, there are names both new and old that are never once satisfied to stay in the same place for long. The meandering spirits of these musicians allow those of us who discover them to come across some of the most interesting, fascinating, and against-the-grain music that the worlds of metal and rock have to offer. Only on occasion are we blessed with a new name in those far-reaching outskirts that can actually deliver on a level that can match many of its contemporaries at least in some form. Aftering retiring the name of Yarrow, those behind it rise again under the banner of Yaaroth to bring us a new effort that is the exact kind of creation that extremely few are able to bring to life in such magnificent condition like what’s to be seen here.

Without having to even think about it, combining the worlds of doom metal and progressive rock is more than enough to offer intrigue to the modern listener. There’s so much wiggle room with those two styles that damn near anything is possible with the right mindset but it’s a daunting task to bring to life in any meaningful form without letting the sheer magnitude of the concoction itself dominate your attempt to craft something that listeners can really sink their teeth into. Immediately, Yaaroth makes it known with “The Man in the Wood” that they know precisely what they’re doing as well as how to bring it to life in glorious detail. At every given opportunity throughout these five tracks sprawling across the whole of the 41-minute runtime, Yaaroth never misses its mark to deliver a gripping experience that brings to the table the power, intensity, and introspection that the world of doom metal elicits while the progressive rock elements effortlessly enables “The Man in the Wood” to find itself in bold sonic territory that challenges the listener’s senses and paints an endlessly fascinating picture of this experience. This is the kind of creation that lends itself fabulously to the kind of listener that wanders wherever the music leads as the crevices down the rarely taken paths are where Yaaroth travel down in order to fully experience what spells the silken voice that guides us has to weave with all it conjures forth capturing right from the beginning and undeniably alluring unto its last utterance.

Albums like this are truly few and far between more than just the fact that Yaaroth goes against the grain with all that’s been brought forth for the performance. This is what happens when talent meets an adventurous and tenacious nature that isn’t satisfied with creating anything less than unique and wholly engaging for all who come into contact with it as that’s what it means to really experience music that challenges the senses. Much like walking into a mythical woodland where the very soil has a voice of its own, “The Man in the Wood” has many secrets for any who are willing and patient enough to take into what all is to be heard.

“The Man in the Wood” releases on March 3rd via I, Voidhanger Records!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “The Man in the Wood” on Bandcamp here.