POROUS RESONANCE ABYSS

Since Go Be Forgotten, Krallice have been going through a big evolution, with Colin Marston adding keyboards and dark synth textures to the band's progressive black metal sound. His various side projects have seen him experiment with spacey ambient soundscapes, and to take those and stick them in Krallice's work has established their sound for the second decade of their career.

Porous Resonance Abyss seems like the next natural step after Crystalline Exhaustion and Psychagogue, and even then they continue to evolve. This is another sharp departure from their roots, sounding more like straight-up prog metal with elements of space rock. The synths are front and centre, giving it a feel akin to 80's Rush. They haven't fully abandoned black metal though, as there are still blast beats and tremolo picked guitars, but they aren't the main focus. They wanted an atmosphere, and they delivered. Also, it's entirely instrumental, which is another benefit. No harsh vocals to shake the listener out of the immersion, letting the melodies carry you away.

It's a 43-minute, 4-part journey through outer space that warps and wefts through prog metal, black metal, space rock, and chilling ambient. Unlike anything Krallice have done before, and another welcome installment to the prog-black gods' oeuvre. There's nowhere else for them to go but up into the stratosphere and beyond.

Oh yeah, and awesome cover art. Love those purples.