Why does it almost always seem to be that some of the best kept underground secrets are those that have a release schedule that’s periodic at best? Perhaps it has something to do with the concept of “quality over quantity”, and that is something I can really get behind. Even if it would be nice to hear from the more elusive yet nonetheless bombastic names out there to be had, there are few things that can compare to when a band finally returns and manages to exceed expectations. However, such events are few and far between, as you might imagine, making such instances all the more special and enthralling. Nine years since their last full-length offering, Kylver delivers unto us just such a spectacle.

Despite the raw potential that this genre always has lurking underneath its surface, it’s not all that common to see a name come around to not just tap into that vast well of possibilities while simultaneously making the experience simply captivating and downright addictive for all that it dares to tackle. As such, bands that are actually able to subvert expectations and come before us with grandeur and magnitude are not something to be denied in the slightest. Already did Kylver enchant and enthrall with their last album, “The Island”, yet it is here throughout the sprawling expanse of “The Gobi” that we see precisely how far this quartet has come.

Almost certainly one of the most engrossing and masterfully crafted experiences that all of progressive rock/metal/whatever has thrown my way in far too long, the four chapters of “The Gobi” are poorly translated into a written form as I flail to find the words at what’s been put forth here. Electrifying in its atmospheres and truly compelling in its cascading melodies and rhythms that are woven beautifully into a vast tapestry that sees the realms of doom, metal, and sludge earning their keep time after time, there isn’t so much as a minute of “The Gobi” that isn’t beyond worthy of your immediate attention and prolonged fascination. In each track, Kylver hurls the listener into the deep lore, unique culture, and very real intensity of the Gobi Desert that’s seen through a kaleidoscopic lens that sees monolithic beasts rising from the sands, the spirits of animals ensuring the respect of the hunt was followed, and the way of the Donghu is given a rare spotlight once more. The past and the ethereal collide in this effort to make it truly larger than life with Kylver’s brand of amorphous instrumental progressive rock the absolute perfect vessel to cover such a topic in a way that feels explorative, passionate, and reverent.

Apparently, I can find the words, after all! But make no mistake – what Kylver has accomplished here is something that demands to be heard in order to be believed lest you miss out on something that we will likely not hear from this genre in months or, potentially, years. There’s a plethora of reasons why Kylver has been a name I’ve kept a close eye on ever since experiencing “The Island”, and it’s every given moment of “The Gobi” that makes me feel justified in my excruciating patience for almost a decade. Even if it takes Kylver another nine years to follow up “The Gobi”, I cannot help but feel it will yet again be worth it.

LISTEN to “The Gobi” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Kylver on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Kylver on Instagram here.