Curse Of Conception (Hol)

2017 release. While many took notice of their debut album Chained To Oblivion, Curse Of Conception, Spirit Adrift's stellar second album and first with new label 20 Buck Spin, takes a giant leap forward in songwriting prowess, production and confidence. From the Metallica-slash-Priest-like opening moments of "Earthbound" to the epic closing of "Onward, Inward," this band aims sky high with burning focus and peak vigor. Indeed, Earthbound is a standard bearer for album-openers, leading into the colossal title track, a grungy and twisting radio-ready crawler. "To Fly On Broken Wings" and "Graveside Invocation" continue to show that any of these eight tracks could stand as singles. Throughout the album, brick-heavy riffs, somber southern atmospherics, and grand melodies entwine flawlessly into perfect metallic majesty. Now more than ever, metal has become the lifeblood of rock music and this is an embodiment of that perseverant vitality.