When you dig through the underground long enough, it’s only a matter of time before you come across something that is certifiably different than much of what else is out there. Of course, that doesn’t make such a find interesting by itself, but to keep a keen eye out for such instances is to hold hope that you will eventually come upon something that really catches you off-guard. There’s no shortage of excellence in doom metal and its contemporary styles whether they be firmly within or well outside of the proverbial box. Every now and then, however, something is bound to rise out of the nothingness and put forth a visage that you just cannot help but become lost in. A dark creation that’s still somehow filled with color, Black Aleph achieves such a sight with their debut album.

Drone is one of those styles that can be immeasurably niche given the nature of the sound itself which lends itself to many different variations, but it takes real vision and talent to deliver on that premise with incredibly few able to bring it to the table with real weight and prowess. Weaving a dense tapestry of light and darkness that is constantly morphing and pulsing as the album progresses, Black Aleph deliver such splendor with their debut album, “Apsides”. Only a half-hour in length but more than overflowing with loads of intrigue and ritualistic rhythms, this is a performance that pulls from many different corners of the doom spectrum to allow for a sound that’s so immensely layered and multi-faceted with each aspect of the creation lending to the overall experience with “Apsides” immediately becoming far lesser should you remove even just a single element. Black Aleph never sits still for long as even the most compelling of riffs are given way to valleys of sound and meandering rhythms that really add a sense of wonder and trepidation to the cauldron that can be incredibly hard to keep in line unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

“Apsides” sees Black Aleph already viciously capable of this craft. A debut the likes of which we’re lucky to see even once a year, Black Aleph immediately puts itself on the map as a band to keep a sharp eye on. For all that goes on within this creation, it demands to be made clear that Black Aleph has practically struck gold through carnal emotionalism that branches in all directions with no clear goal, yet Black Aleph does not grasp blindly in the dark. Rather, it takes the darkness in to become a singular entity with all the complexity and majesty that one could ask for from such a act that seems to delight in writhing in the formless ether where anything seems possible.

LISTEN to “Apsides” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Black Aleph on Facebook here.