Once every so often, we get an album that should feel familiar, by all accounts, but somehow it manages to do more than merely defy expectations. Whether it’s a band taking their sound in a completely different direction or a new name coming along to take a different approach that none of us could have seen coming, the underground is full of surprises. In the realms of all things black metal, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make your impact known unless you’re exceedingly good at what you do. In the case of Vale, we’re lucky to have such a flavorful act that holds more than enough promise and intrigue. With this new creation, however, Vale is onto something truly special.

This is a creation that is not easy to pin down. For every reason, it is tempting for me to plant the record firmly within the realm of atmospheric black metal, but much like when I listened to bands like Panopticon, I find myself not satisfied with such a brief descriptor. What’s been brought forth here within the five tracks of “A Senseless Procession” tackle every aspect of Vale’s sound with the black metal constantly ebbing and flowing with its post-metal tendencies with even dark folk creeping its way into the mix to really make this album feel as though it was crafted to be the only possible soundtrack for a gloomy, rainy day as the final vestiges of spring withers away. Without so much as a hitch in any of the songs that are brought forward here, “A Senseless Procession” is a powerful creation that is not to be taken lightly by any means whatsoever. Just as competent with an acoustic guitar as it is adept at bringing the voracious heaviness that only extreme metal can bring to the table in such magnificence, this is not a creation that is to be underestimated in even the smallest form. Nothing that’s been summoned here can be ignored for all that it is. Nothing about “A Senseless Procession” deserves to fall back into the common rabble. Nothing about what Vale has done here can be understated.

This is what it means to witness art and suffering brought to an undeniable high point for all of us to bask in. Without so much as breaking a sweat, Vale has accomplished something with “A Senseless Procession” that it should be proud of for years to come, and I can only hope that I won’t be the only one to remember this excellence for all that it dares to be.

LISTEN to “A Senseless Procession” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Vale on Facebook here.