Much like their contemporaries in all things related to psychedelic rock, doom metal has been going through one hell of an age albeit over a longer period of time. Psychedelia has been in the very roots of doom for decades now with all sorts of bands coming out of the woodwork to offer their take on the concept with loads of different approaches and styles to be had, but even in the face of all that has come before, there’s still tons of new avenues to travel down if you simply approach it all with the right mindset. By all accounts, State of Non Return has demonstrated that concept to tremendous effect with just their debut album.

It’s a curious thing to try and find your own way throughout the dense underground. With the seemingly infinite forms of influence, it can be all too easy to fall right into the exact same category and taking the exact same cues that countless of other bands have made before you with it being likely you disappear into obscurity. Some are okay with that while bands like State of Non Return most certainly are not content with such a fate. Across four tracks that are just as foreboding in presence as they are stalwart in constantly keeping everything moving forward no matter what may try to hinder your path, “White Ink” is an album that does not find solace in succumbing to many of the norms that have grown into stereotypical roles within the genre. Taking their time to strip mine the soul and pull off some offbeat decisions that really bring forth a dark psychedelic feel to the heavy rhythms that are thrown down with real aptitude, “White Ink” sees State of Non Return make for a flavorful debut while leaving more than enough room for improvement without once leaving the listener with a case of blue balls. Utilizing a deadly raw sound with spectacular flow across a 44-minute runtime, the brand of heaviness that State of Non Return is dealing in here is a truly unnerving and hypnotic kind that always knows how to keep itself moving forward in an effort the keep the listener unsettled and, thus, primed for whatever grand plans State of Non Return may have.

Doom metal is perpetually a beast that is seeking new territories to dominate while always keeping a firm chokehold over the realms that it has long held dominion over. We’ve seen plenty of bands come around to try and expand the genre’s boundaries to new heights with it not being very often that we get something that really feels different. State of Non Return may not have put forth something with this effort that rattles the genre to its core, but it goes against the grain just enough to keep things interesting and feeling fresh right from the very beginning. For all that “White Ink” brings to the table, disappointment is certainly not one of them.

LISTEN to “White Ink” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE State of Non Return on Facebook here.