Hailing from Spain, GOLGATHA is a Doom Metal band formed way back in 1993. From their record label’s website, “Some may have expected that creating an album to follow the darkly magnificent fan favourite, "Mors Diligentis," would be a daunting prospect for Spain’s doyens of doom. However, the band have sailed majestically past all their previous achievements with their latest collection of epic hymns. "Spreading The Wings of Hope" exemplifies everything that is great about this much-loved band – the earthshaking heaviness and the enthralling melodies, the contrasting dual vocals that express such powerful emotions and the sublime song writing that can utterly enchant the listener.”

The album has eight songs, and “For Every Tear” is first. The opening tones are weighted, but also solemn, and it’s all about that balance that is struck early on. The vocals also vary from harsh to clean and back again. “Gilded Cage” has another assertive entrance but it ducks back into delicate tones with a good deal of both melody and emotion, and the chorus is quite catchy. “A Solitary Soul” moves forward with a crushing, heavy sound that is counterbalanced by clean vocals, although they are dark. Some guitar leads also mix in to thicken up the background suitably. “Hear Their Cries” begins with piano and leads before it falls into a weighted, heavy sound. Again, it’s that temperance that the clean vocals provide butted up against the aggressive riffs that make the sound as good as it is.

“Closed Heart” has a catchier sound out of the gate, still with that heavy backbone, augmented with harsh vocals. The clean vocals have so much emotion in them, that you can’t help to be sucked into them as a listener. The title track might be the most grandiose and punishing song on the album. The riffs go deep, as do the harsh vocals. But it’s the control in the clean vocals that really shine here. “Hope and Guide” closes the album, and the entering piano notes are a change. She talks about her perseverance with the line “my fire still burns, my hope yearns.” One really can’t expect a band who has been around as long as GOLGATHA to completely change their approach to songwriting, so what you hear is about what you expect. It’s an excellent album, steep in the traditions of the Doom genre with a few nice surprises along the way, and it proves that the band still has a lot to offer fans.