THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNER is further proof of the rich vastness of the metal underground. Formed in 2007 in Arvada, Colorado this foursome has eight full-length albums to their credit as well as one EP and one split. It is continually amazing to me how much talent is hidden away in the dark expanse of the metalsphere. How much time would you need to listen to all of it? Who knows, but bands like THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNER make me willing to try. All that is to say, at least by evidence of their latest album, “Nature’s Cadence” (to be released on September 27 via Eisenwald), this band in pretty damn awesome. 

THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNER brings together some of my favorite subgenres—Doom, Avant-garde, Black, Folk—into a dark swill of contemplative brooding. They use both clean and guttural vocals and blend raw distorted riffs with melodic phrasing. Perhaps it’s this balance of contrasting elements that feels so right—kind of a sonic ying yang thing. I think at this point most readers are nodding their heads thinking: Yep, we’ve seen this formula before. But just when you think you have the formula figured, an extra variable is slipped in and the next thing you know you’re doing occult calculus. 

So, I’m listening to the second track, “Madness.” At the 3:19 point, Jeremy or Clayton lay in this lovely solo—visceral and moving—and then the bottom drops out and in comes a fucking steel guitar. I’m not talking Ron Wood steel guitar, I’m talking dirt floor cracker, Appalachian steel guitar. And I’m at a loss to contrast it with anything except the whole damned metal endeavor to begin with. So, yeah, this metal underground has more dark corners than you ever imagined and in one of them lurks THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNER.

There are other things to love about this album than a lurking steel guitar. The complex compositions of each track take you on a journey rather than leaving you a roadside victim of a hit and run. The overall effect makes the album feel like an hour-long expedition rather than the 39-minute jaunt it actually is. Another delight is the quality of production. Promo material explains the album was “mastered on vintage analog equipment, imparting a nostalgic haze that envelops the music, serving as the final spark to unleash the magic.” Now, I’d like to say that my ears are so fine-tuned that I could discern that particular engineering nuance, but too many concerts and too much abusive headphone usage has gifted me with tinnitus rivaling an MRI. But even I can hear the beauty of this mix.  

Standout tracks: “North” for its hefty primal riff, all the ethereal contrasting bits, and the fearsome Black Metal screeching; “Madness” as previously noted; and “The Woodsman” for fulfilling the Folk promise of the stunning cover art. I also dug the remaining two tracks. The closing track, “The Wanderer,” is a bit like “North,” the opening track, which effectively creates a bookend effect. “Vingthor,” as the middle track, tentpoles the album with overarching Norse vibe. Check out the supporting video (linked below).

THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNER is one of those bands that make you rethink your depth of metal knowledge. It is both humbling and thrilling to know that there is so much talent yet to discover in the metalverse. Their latest album, “Nature’s Cadence,” speaks to your brain and your heart, but ultimately to your wandering metal spirit.