SPIRIT ADRIFT is a doom/ heavy metal based out of Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas and who have been around since 2015. This is their fourth and latest full-length album entitled "Enlightened in Eternity" which was released through Century Media on October 16^th, 2020.

It is safe to say that this band has been getting a lot of publicity and hype over the last few years as one of the rising stars of the doom/heavy metal genre. As is evident with this release, the band relies on a gritty guitar sound that is both heavy, distorted and covered in dusty melodies that is the highly enjoyable opener "Ride into the Light". The vocals of Nate Garrett are on point as always and still have that rough edge even when remaining clean throughout the song. I guess the easy comparison would that of KYUSS or QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE which would a fair assessment as those bands surely had an influence on the band's sound but the track is comprised of much faster passages than the 2 groundbreaking bands.

Where this composition left off, "Astral Levitation" follows with its SABBATH-esque guitar riffing (how many times have I said that over the last 2 years), but really it is not a knock on the band, as most bands in the genre love to breathe in the essence of Tony Iommi. The song has one thing I love about "proto-doom", that pure nostalgic chorus that just has a warm fuzzy feeling about it. I find the band just keeps getting better at grasping those hooks, while maintaining their trademark sound. We even get a nice little bass passage in here with some nice grooves. The band also knows exactly when to change the tempo of the song (in that NWOBHM vibe) and get your pulse racing.

"Cosmic Conquest" starts off with the quintessential bass grooves and dueling guitar melodies and has all the makings of being an instant classic for fans of the band, not only because of its riff-drive structure but also that sing-along chorus that bands clam for. I am surprised this song was not one of the singles released when promoting the album, but I am sure it will be sometime in the future. For some off reason, this song reminds me a little of the grunge era, if the style had crossed paths with IRON MAIDEN and formed a hybrid genre.

"Screaming from Beyond" which also has an official video is a bit slower in the beginning and while the song does have an uplifting tone, it takes its time to slowly build with the more distant guitars. The song has a bit of an old school SCORPIONS structure to it, which I find ironic as I have been listening to some of their older material lately. There is a just a great feeling to hearing those influences in the more modern bands that make it sound fresh. One constant throughout the album are the very traditional guitar melodies and the perfect balance between slower and moodier parts, as is the case halfway through this one. Love that song ending guitar sound too.

"Harmony of the Spheres" is the crusher on the album with its speedy guitars, double bass drums and very energetic intro. The song does not always stay in this tempo but when it goes into overdrive, this is as close to "power metal" as I have ever heard from these guys and it shows how versatile the band can be. Honestly, if you want to show off this band to people who have never heard them before, this song should get them hooked. I enjoyed all the other songs but this one really stuck with me as my favorite.

The following 2 songs "Battle High" (another official video track) has a great dual bass and drum intro that will have you tapping your feet and nodding in enjoyment because of its catchy 1970s metal tendencies and "Stronger Than Your Pain" is by far the gloomier piece of music on the album with a sinister tone and suffocating atmosphere (especially in the intro) but then almost turns into a MEGADETH meets ANTHRAX song with chugging guitars and all. Not to sound repetitive, but this song is tailor-made for a live setting (whenever that happens again remains to be seen).

Last not but not least we have the 10+ minute epic closer "Reunited in the Void" that starts off with some good old-fashioned dissonance and distortion and some funeral doom inspired licks. Considering my strong affection or bands like KHEMMIS and PALLBEARER, I really dig these long doomy numbers where you listen to the music as if you were hunting for treasure in an abandoned mine, not knowing where the journey will take you, but feeling fulfilled in the end.

There is just so much to appreciate on this album from the amazing guitar work, to the choruses and the superbly executed tempo changes from song to song or even within one. The band really shines on all levels on this one and deserves a lot of recognition. The genre has exploded over the last 5 years, yet this band stands out in how they infuse 1970s and 1980s metal into their own brand of doom/stoner. If you have not listened to this band before, this is a great starting point.