SPIRIT ADRIFT are a Doom band from Phoenix, Arizona whose sophomore album "Curse of Conception" got quite an enthusiastic reception back in 2017. The play traditional, melodic, BLACK SABBATH worshiping Doom Metal with some Hard Rock, Classic Heavy Metal and Psychedelic influences and are often compared to bands like KHEMMIS, PALLBEARER or THE SWORD. "Curse of Conception" is cut from the same cloth as music produced by many other Doom Metal revival bands, what stood out were the great hook-filled melodies as well as the powerful, passionate vocals. On "Divided by Darkness" they go for a more traditional Hard Rock/Classic Heavy Metal approach with a added Psychedelic twist. The result are songs with catchy, anthemic melodies that are tight compositionally, but at the same time aren't too predictable.

The opener "We Will Not Die" is a pretty straightforward rocker with a heavy groove and catchy chorus hook. The song eases you in nicely, there is nothing too off-kilter, but I love how the solo is preceded by a fast bridging riff - one gets a taste of the superb guitar work on this album. The following track is the title song. It has a melancholic, doomy verse and a passionate chorus filled with a sense of urgency both in the singers voice and in the lyrics. Btw. the whole album has a kind of spiritual/New Agey message - I really dig that and it ties in nicely with the psychedelic vibes of the band's music. There is a compositional shift in the song right before the guitar solo and the whole final section has a mellow, trippy vibe. "Born Into Fire" has a heavy, groovy verse and a catchy, anthemic chorus, but there also is a compositional shift and a total change of the vibe of the song. The final part sounds sad but also kind of hymnic and majestic.

"Angel and Abyss" has a melancholic verse and a powerful, elegiac chorus. The song is for the most part a melancholic, but, again, there is a surprising shift in tone and the final section is up-tempo with a catchy melodic Hard Rock riff. I like the dark, witchy vibes of "Hear Her," the middle section in this song has great, evil lead guitar melodies and a jaw-droppingly good solo. "Living Light" has a kind of earnest, serious verse and an emotional chorus, after a mellow middle section the song builds up to a final part where the singer bursts into a chant in Hindi (if I'm not mistaken). It feels truly climatic and one gets the sense that also the song is a high-point to which the album is leading. The closer is a Psych/Prog Rock influenced instrumental that is great compositionally and also showcases the superb instrumental chops of the band.

SPIRIT ADRIFT have outdone themselves on this one I think. Their music has bite and the performances are superb. I'm sure many will agree with me that this is easily one of the best traditional Doom (or Doom-oriented) albums of 2019.