THROUGH MISTS - Branches (Album Premiere)

Written by: The Administrator

Much has been said 'round these parts about the prolificity of Through Mists, so much so that I'm using the word "prolificity." I won't belabor that particular point. In short, one never needs to wait long for the one-man extreme metal band to drop another release, and this latest, Branches, follows up April's Prolific EP, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Needless to say, we're excited to premiere Branches here today prior to its official release tomorrow, July 12th.

Branches consists of five tracks built on the shoulders of Through Mists' trademark blend of blistering and progressive death/black/sludge metal. While instantly recognizable from a sonic perspective, this latest outing notably leans into more melodic and technical flourishes, lending a sense of individuality from track to track. This is a quality that only continues to blossom across the discography at large, and at this stage in the game, I feel like the balance struck results in some of the most engaging and interesting Through Mists tracks to date.

As always, we slumbering scribes invite ye to listen below! We'll be waiting on the other side of the virtual fold. 

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Given everything it manages to cram into a short runtime, Branches is an intrinsically intense album. If you're familiar with Through Mists, you likely know what I'm referencing. If you're unfamiliar: buckle up. There's a constant sense of urgent and unhinged freneticism that weaves and wends its way through the project, sometimes overtly and sometimes lurking in anticipation. Take the skittering technicality on track two, "Catharsis," which feels truly adrenalized in its forceful churn. Listening to this song leaves a strong physical impression--it's like being cabled by your wrists to a speedboat and subsequently whipped around a lake that is, for all intents and purposes, far too small for water sports. The title track, in comparison, is quite melodic compared to that which came before, but still employs a stomping aggression that juxtaposes nicely.      
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Given the fact that the first four tracks of the five contained herein are of fairly standard length, the closer inevitably was going to be significantly more epic in scope. Clocking in at eleven and a half minutes, "Neophyte" is a wonderfully eclectic conglomerate of sights and sounds. It's an invigorating listen, and features some of my favorite moments on the project as a whole. There's a wonderful flow between incendiary bombast and more gentle moments. The keys are particularly well implemented, serving as a brief breather between moments of building extremity, and then cleverly being utilized in the undercurrent to maintain a certain sense of anxiety. Some truly smart stuff, and an overall very well executed demonstration of the artistic vision. And, despite the eccentricity, the overarching themes of growth and change serve as a through-line, and are applied in a fashion that feels natural and intrinsic to the music itself.

Through Mists continues to avoid playing it safe, and that is endlessly admirable. This could have been a straightforward death metal album, but that would require shedding multiple layers of the elements that make Through Mists an exciting artist to follow. Branches is weird, and wacky, and complex, and liable to veer off in unexpected directions at the drop of a hat. As a fan of the unpredictable, this quality will always be a major plus in my book.

So! In sum, Branches is another Through Mists project that I'll inevitably be spending much more time with. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

Through Mists - Branches will be released July 12th, 2024. Find it here! 

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Through Mists can be found:
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