On rare occasions, we’re given a record that really goes against the grain and manages to do so in such a way that leaves us downright bewildered. While I was content sitting here believing that рожь was going to be the biggest blindsiding surprise that I was going to see from the realm of doom metal for a while, I didn’t think it would be so soon that I would be blindsided yet again. I remember hearing whispers about Fires in the Distance when they came around with their debut album three years ago, and I was determined to not let this new effort slide under my radar like its predecessor. Hands down, that was one of the best decisions that I’ve made in the last month with just the first track of this creation alone defining what it means to be jaw-dropping.

Already, to see another combination of death and doom metal in almost any capacity is enough to draw plenty of people in, but that’s not always enough for some people who truly seek out something bigger by all accounts. Something with more gravitas, meaning, and power that is not easily held back. Fires in the Distance more than meets such a standard with their first album showing us what they’re able to throw down, but it is every possible second of “Air Not Meant For Us” that we’re able to witness an effort that isn’t just wondrously made, but utterly awe-inspiring in every capacity! Not just capable of bouncing back and forth between the worlds of death and doom metal to make for a dynamic and fluid performance, the six tracks that make up this nearly 50-minute effort have more than enough ingenuity, spirit, and talent going into it all that one cannot help but become sucked into all that is taking place. Between the gripping uses of pianos, violins, cellos, and so much more, soaring vocals, capturing lyrical content, and unyielding breadth of scope that the record has to boast at all times, it’s effortless to become overwhelmed by and lost within the depths of “Air Not Meant For Us”. A single listen is an insult upon such a magnificent work like what we’ve been presented with here, and I can rest easy knowing that already many are giving it the credit it deserves. Even now, however, it’s not enough for all that Fires in the Distance has achieved in these six stunning, compelling pieces of pure, unfettered heavy art.

A record like this is what makes a band worthy of being called essential, need-to-know, or any other such phrase that one could think of. It’s an absolute stunner right from the very beginning as Fires in the Distance capitalizes at every given opportunity at every possible turn without exception as the band continuously shows us just what exactly they’re made of without breaking so much as a sweat. Once you step within the dense forest that is “Air Not Meant For Us”, it is not easy to walk out of given all of its intoxications, wonders, sorrows, and grandeur that all comes together seamlessly for an experience that we’re lucky to get even just once a year.

LISTEN to “Air Not Meant For Us” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Fires in the Distance on Facebook here.