From Bandcamp, "Fossil Gardens" is an intense and soul-elevating experience; a musical journey to the unmistakable world of HAIL SPIRIT NOIR, and its most extreme effort to date. The band's signature sound, defined by otherworldly melodies, vintage synths and compositional experimentation, is once again present, yet shifting towards black metal instrumentation and chaotic soundscapes, reaching next-level psychedelia.”

“Starfront Promenade” is the first cut. The opening music tones and mysterious at first, and slide into ominous when the fast picked guitars come in. At first, you wouldn’t think of this as Black Metal, but when the harsh vocals come, it is more obvious. Still, this is inventive. “The Temple of Curved Space” has traditional Black Metal element, but they are augmented with modern qualities, including smooth clean vocals, synths, and classically arranged guitar parts. When you meld them together, you get something new and fresh.

“Curse You, Entropia” begins with sorrowful tones that are led by synths, guitars, and thick bass notes. The vocals are filthy. Entropy is a concept that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty, and you can hear the frustration, especially in the vocals. “The Blue Dot” is a more straightforward aggressive and weighted number, but it is not without a dose of melody and brightness, mostly in the clean vocal chorus. The balance of these two elements in the music so far is nearly perfect. “The Road to Awe” has wonderfully clean passages that are also heavy and ominous in their delivery, sandwiched between more contentious passages.

The title track closes the album. “Where there is light, there is hope.” Truer words have never been spoken, and this song is a luminous mark on the album. This album expertly balances two opposing concepts: light and hope, and darkness and despair. But it’s more than just maintaining a balance. At times, they have to let one side break through and then the other, because as a listener, this keeps you engaged. Their musicianship is fantastic, and the album was carefully crafted.