There are a few aesthetic markers that can let you know almost everything you need to know about a record—all before you hear a moment of music from it. Take for instance Song of Salvation, the newest from Dream Unending. Between the spiritualist title to the Biblically accurate seraph on the cover art to the fact that two of its five tracks stretch beyond the fourteen-minute mark, one could assume that the music contained therein is a sprawling cosmic bit of progressive metal that spends as much time meandering through atmospheric soundscapes as roaring with doom fury.
Luckily, that’s exactly what I was hoping it would be. And across its runtime, Dream Unending takes listeners on a sojourn of the soul and mind that reminds me of what Blood Incantation has been doing—though that comparison is far more in spirit than in sound.
Two magnum opuses bookend the record. The title track opens the album with a fourteen-minute epic excursion through prog rock, psychedelia, and volcanic doom. Ambient soundscapes give way to cosmic heavy metal guitar solos which erupt into plumes of plodding doom.
In between are three tracks that, despite being a fraction of the runtime, are no less ambitious in scope. Trumpets, pianos, synthesizers, and a few guest vocals build expansive sonic palettes around the churning guitars and guttural screams. The instrumental track “Murmur of Voices” is particularly gorgeous, with a fifths-shifted guitar buoyed by rich reverbs and synth pads, eventually joined by a soaring guitar solo that takes the place of any sung melodies. It flows effortlessly into another instrumental “Unrequited,” which channels Pink Floyd if John Petrucci replaced David Gilmour.
The sixteen-minute closing track, “Ecstatic Reign,” mirrors the opening piece, making a similar journey as if climbing back down from the mountain. Female vocals offer a gorgeous counterpoint to the doomy screams, expanding the cosmic perspective of Dream Unending even further. Before it fades out, “Ecstatic Reign” revisits nearly every sonic touchstone of the tracks before it: thrash riffage, soaring lead lines, and imposing doom mingle with mystic atmospheres, prog meandering, and cinematic compositions.
Only a year separated from their lauded debut, Song of Salvation proves that Dream Unending isn’t a flash in the pain. Rather, their vision is as far-reaching as their songwriting. If you’re looking for a record that will both lift you up to the highest heavens and crush you with heaviness, this is for you.
Song of Salvation is out this Friday through 20 Buck Spin.
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