Perpetually do we find ourselves in a genre that is always moving forward. Whether you like it or not, there are always bands out there in such a number that absolutely litter the underground with each and every one of them seeking new ways to push the very sound of metal down a different path with some sort of different offering or simply becoming true masters of their particular sound. Often enough do we see a band try to pursue its own sound, but not often enough do we see a band seize the opportunity and really make something for themselves. Only on occasion do are we blessed with such a sight. When A Flock Named Murder released their debut album seven years ago, the foundation was laid for a band to accomplish what few others could. It’s been a long wait for a follow-up, but it’s now that one can say with absolute certainty that A Flock Named Murder is the name that we rarely get to see.

It’s always so tempting to compare an anticipated follow-up with what came before. It’s something that I feel everyone does subconsciously even if they don’t mean to since it’s oftentimes we just want a continuation of what was already done. However, to do so would be to tempt uninterest and criticism before a work that is not deserving of such purely because it’s not exactly what you wanted. When we’re dealing with a band whose sound is simply sprawling and defies singular categorization, the best approach is oftentimes to just let the band do whatever they may. Let them take your hand and hurl you into their new world that has its own experiences and nuances that are as deserving to be lost within as whatever came before. This often takes multiple listens in order to get over that barrier and really click with what you’re now before. Such was the challenge for me when sitting within the second album from A Flock Named Murder, yet I knew that there was something here.

“An Appointed Time” was and still is a grand performance when it was first release, and “Incendiary Sanctum” is one of the few creations that actually deserves being tagged as “highly anticipated”, yet it demands to be made clear that this is a record that well and truly stands on its own two legs. Rather than relying on its predecessor for a guaranteed success, A Flock Named Murder used their foundational debut as something to craft something that doesn’t need to be supported by anything other than its own grandeur. “Incendiary Sanctum” had tons of potential. It’s through an intensely meticulous attention to detail that A Flock Named Murder made something extraordinary with the experience as a whole something that demands you become lost within even if it takes you a couple of spins for your eyes to be opened to what’s before you, as it did for me.

Immersive and downright all-encompassing for all that’s dared to be brought to the table, “Incendiary Sanctum” stands as a monolith; tall, imposing, laden with depth and splendor. Plenty of times we have seen the many different worlds of extreme metal brought together in such a way that feels dense and captivating, especially when it’s done right. In order to do it properly, the given act has to give it so much attention and take so much care when putting it all together while ensuring the intensity, majesty, and grandeur of it all bleeds through in every given moment. Without fail, A Flock Named Murder achieves this in each minute. Bringing together aspects of black, doom, and death metal into a single imposing form that continuously offers additional elements of post metal for added flavor, “Incendiary Sanctum” shot for the stars and delivered gloriously! Complex and satisfying, this is a winding record that is always beckoning you ever further into its depths with the allure of such wonder far too sweet to resist. From its dense and captivating songwriting to the passion that flows in each moment, A Flock Named Murder truly sought to creation a standout performance with this creation, and it would be a damn understatement to say they did anything less than succeed wildly.

A Flock Named Murder could have damn well gone in any direction after their debut. They showed off immense promise and talent with what was laid forth before. It is here that the act does far more than simply capitalize off of what could have been. Rather, A Flock Named Murder truly seized the opportunity to show us what they’re truly made of and, in the process, delivered a standout performance that’s sure to go down as one of the finest works that 2025 has to offer when the year eventually comes to a close. Much was dared in the crafting of “Incendiary Sanctum”, and so much was achieved in glorious fashion.

“Incendiary Sanctum” releases on May 2nd via Hypaethral Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Incendiary Sanctum” on Bandcamp here.

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