There’s something about having a sense of scale that can really set a work apart from not just the competition as a whole but set it apart from what has come before from the same band. It’s the kind of evolution that keeps fans continuously crawling back for more as we are frothing at the mouth to see what else can be accomplished and what all can be extrapolated and taken to such an extent that we’re left downright impressed with the limit far beyond the confines of the sky itself. That’s what keep people coming back for more. In no small form, Hemelbestormer has never once been a name to deny itself that exact kind of sonic evolution with that being very obvious throughout the entirety of their fourth album.

It was right away when they first got the ball rolling that it was obvious what we had with Hemelbestomer: an instrumental act that taps into the all-too-seldom used style of post-doom metal to bring forth a vibrant but nonetheless intense performance that left nothing on the table. As time has gone on, this Belgian quartet has only enabled their sound to become ever more flavorful list the finest of wine. Should you take even a single step into what they’ve delivered within their newest creation of “The Radiant Veil” then it will be made quite clear that the question must be asked as to whether or not this might be the band’s finest work to date. A vast and utterly expansive creation that sees the planet itself heave to the whim of Hemelbestormer while the skies darken and the cosmos wretch in response to the power that’s on full display, these eight mostly instrumental tracks offer nothing short of an experience that feels downright cinematic for its attention to detail and grandeur that permeates virtually every moment of the record. As atmospheric as it is pummeling, “The Radiant Veil” does not offer mercy, but, rather, perspective. A tremendous aural statement on the state of life itself as the constant push and pull of the dichotomies that make life such an enigma: life and death, light and death, heaven and hell, chaos and order, madness and peace.

Hemelbestormer is many things, but it’s throughout “The Radiant Veil” that they are masters of their craft above all else with this album marking an undeniable high point in the band’s career thus far. This is a real statement from the band that showcases the strengths that they’ve been honing for years while always making more than enough room for sonic exploration to keep things more than fresh and interesting for listeners new and veteran alike. There’s much to uncover throughout the vastness of “The Radiant Veil” with the whole of the record something that this particular style of a sort that we’re always desperately in need of.

LISTEN to “The Radiant Veil” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Hemelbestormer on Facebook here.

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