Metal, like any genre of music, gets painted in broad strokes by the uninitiated. But taken at a deeper level, it can be broken down into so many different strands and strains. And although heaviness will always be the foundational quality, the genre allows for boundary pushing growth.

Take for instance French metal group SLIFT. On their latest release Ilion, the band has created a new avenue into the cosmos. They dip their toes into progressive and post elements, to create something that makes the journey as important as the destination. It is ambient, but with a purpose.

The opening titular track “Ilion” sets the stage for what is to come. With guitars modulated into a place where they sound otherworldly, Slift invites us into their ethereal world. The vocals sound as much like a digeridoo as they do singing. And just when you think the track is over, it shifts into a new dimension. This is really the theme of the album, evolution, like variations on a theme in classical music. On the track “Weaver’s Weft,” they create long passages of droning riffs that incite an existential dread in the listener. It is as if you are floating in an endless void of time and space.

There must be something in the water in France that’s birthing these broad-reaching metal bands. SLIFT is the spiritual cousin to Gojira; except they trade in whales for space exploration and death metal background for ambient sensibilities. Ilion is epic in scope and length. The eight tracks clock in at 79 minutes, which is a commitment. But the album never feels overly-long. Check out Ilion HERE and follow SLIFT on Instagram.