Are you tired of the endless screaming and earth-churning chugs of rhythm guitars that are so pervasive and deeply rooted in the metal scene? How about a nice vacation from it? A break from it all. If you said yes, then pack your things and enjoy a pleasant, forty-five-minute trip through the quiet landscapes of rural Connecticut with MURMUR's The Boundless Black. A duo that formed in 2017 to get a break themselves after being in the Hardcore scene for so long. Nothing against where they came from, they just needed some time for themselves; recharge and create songs that don't threaten to damage vocal chords or pop blood vessels. With a sound like GHOST BRIGADE's "In the Woods" and resonating ULVSANG's dark folk persona, MURMUR is a band that likes to keep quiet.

They don't need to shake the hills by stomping their feet, announcing their musical presence to the heavens. They are in a way, subdued. At peace. "In the woods by our home/ where the dark creatures roam/ right out of the story we read..." Is one of the most beautiful lines I've ever heard. "Long Before the Light" is the warm, campfire jam you accidentally stumble upon after wandering the woods for hours, one that you stop to quietly listen to and appreciate. Many of MURMUR's songs are intimate like that. They exude an energy of safety and peace of mind. As forboding as the album is named, the songs in it are a solacing presence. Even while still roaming through hills of brush and trees during some gloaming hour, Peter Morcey and Ryan White are with you the whole journey. Not all of it is gonna be easy; no one said there wasn't going to be moments of truly introspective sadness like "The Curse" and "To the Reeds".

Ultimately, MURMUR has carved out a gorgeous, thriving ecosystem in the black mountain that is the Rock scene and commune peacefully with all that cross their path.