Often enough do we see the realms of doom and psychedelia merged into a tremendous creation that can be as heavy as it is mind-bending, but not often enough do we see psychedelia paired with the nastiness of sludge. Such a concoction is always asking for expansive should the right name simply come up to the plate with a meaningful effort that uses its sludge tendencies for more than a slight flavor enhancer. Those who do manage such a visage, however, make for performances that demand to be heard in full with undivided attention. When I stumbled upon Age of the Wolf, I knew not what kind of album I was getting myself into with the very track alone of “A Pilgrimage to Nowhere” proving that I had fumbled my way into a piece that’s tremendous in all the right ways.

When we’re dealing with a real mixing pot of different styles and influences, a little bit in any direction can go a long way. That’s something that plenty of bands struggle with if they’re not ready to tackle such a massive sound that they easily envision with only the persistent and astute managing to bring it together while it is only even the best among them that fully deliver on such promise. In no small way, Age of the Wolf does just that with all that they’ve dared to bring forth in the eight tracks of “A Pilgrimage to Nowhere”.

Far from an album that merely dips its toes into what’s possible for the realms of doom, sludge, and psychedelia when they do intersect, this work is something that beckons the listener deeper into a colorful chaos where the rules of reality are thrown out and Age of the Wolf reigns wholly supreme. Effortlessly do the bounds of every involved style bend to whatever vision Age of the Wolf summons from the ether to deliver us a performance that isn’t just one that has plenty to sift through be it in the form of immense riffage or tripped-out atmospheres, but, rather, an undeniably organic and wondrous listen that has so much twists and turns to it that the listener never knows what’s to come next be it an excursion into cosmic electronica or uncompromising heaviness that gives way to magnificent beauty that can only exist in a dense but diverse blend of styles that we see here.

For the entirety of the forty minutes of “A Pilgrimage to Nowhere”, we’re given the epitome of what it means to have the journey mean more than the destination. Wherever Age of the Wolf leads us seems almost meaningless in the face of such cosmic wonder and fascination through gorgeous sights and bewildering power with each track offering some new epiphany in the realms of splendor and intensity that we had not seen before with the very presence of Age of the Wolf more than enough buckle us onto our knees well before the album even comes to a close. Plenty of bands out there have dared to bring such an exquisite performance to life, but it is with every given iota of “A Pilgrimage to Nowhere” that Age of the Wolf proves itself to be a certifiable cut above the rest.

LISTEN to “A Pilgrimage to Nowhere” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Age of the Wolf on Facebook here.