While we’ve been finding ourselves in the midst of a surge when it comes to overwhelming heaviness on an almost oppressive scale, there’s always more than enough room for a contrasting sound to come into play and show us what can still be done on the other side of it all. Even then, there aren’t many that can embody both. It can be quite the concoction to even debate on bringing to the table with only the finest and most focused of acts able to pull it off. With their debut album, Soma Plume accomplishes that and somehow more.

By and large, there’s no way to dispute the absolutely ironclad grip that general melancholy has over the different realms of doom. For decades now, that union of theme and execution has made for some of the most interesting creations in all of doom with there still being more than enough room for new names to come around and do the concept justice. I knew not how well Soma Plume would do it all within the eight tracks of “In the Black Water”, but it becomes very clear very quickly that the act already has the will and talent to execute such a magnificent vision. Even including elements of sludge to make this record a truly dynamic one with all sorts of ebbing and flowing, ups and downs, twists and turns, and unexpected notions to keep the listener not just engaged but absolutely enthralled. Tapping into the more atmospheric nuances of the sound while never once compromising its immense sense of heaviness that leaves nothing on the table for anyone to doubt or question when it comes to the band’s power, “In the Black Water” ensures that everyone who takes the plunge is well aware to the depth and breadth of what’s to be had within this creation. The sort of effort that demands you fully surrender yourself unto so that you can really understand all that goes on within its eight tracks, Soma Plume sets itself off on an incredibly strong foot with nothing but excellence to show for it all.

Where some may take some tentative first steps with a sound as dense and promising as this, acts like Soma Plume are what many of us live for. A powerful unit that is immediately nothing to underestimate with everything going for the bands favor, albums like “In the Black Water” simply demand investigation. To miss out on this record would be to miss out on what should be considered one of the most gripping pieces of melancholic doom we’re to get as the year comes to a close.

LISTEN to “In the Black Water” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Soma Plume on Instagram here.