One of the reasons I've spent decades writing for this website is because of bands like Shepherds of Cassini -- a psychedelic prog-metal quartet from Auckland, New Zealand, that blew my frickin’ mind the first time I pressed “play.”
In Thrall to Heresy is the band’s third album, and it follows a long hiatus in the wake of 2013’s self-titled debut and 2015’s Helios Foresaken. This record opens with the stupendous 11-minute epic “Usurper,” which showcases vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Brendan Zwann’s dynamic singing range -- from clean and gentle to absolutely brutal. It’s followed by the 67-second hovering-spacecraft dreaminess of “Shifting Gleam,” which segues into “Slough,” a slow-burn, 10-minute riff fest. The album’s longest song at 16 minutes, “Abyss” revels in Porcupine Tree, Riverside and Pink Floyd references while still managing to sound wholly original. Elsewhere on the album, the vibe is more similar to Mastodon or Tool.
Zwann is backed by Vitesh Bava on bass, Omar Al-Hashimi on drums and Felix Lun on electric violin (yes!). Collectively, they shift from hypnotic to turbulent, atmospheric to menacing, melodic to furious. No song on In Thrall to Heresy sounds the same, making it easy to get lost in this record. Each new listen reveals subsequent layers and allows for greater appreciation of what each member brings to this band.
And how about that extremely cool band logo and the compelling artwork that combines stoner sensibilities with prog-metal expectations? Sometimes you really can judge a record by its cover. Shepherds of Cassini is the complete package, and this is a damn good album that would have landed high on my “best of 2025” list had I heard it sooner than this week. Hell, it might just wind up on my "best of 2026" list -- just for fun!
Track Listing:
1. Usurper
2. Shifting Gleam
3. Slough
4. Vestibule
5. Red Veil
6. Mutineers
7. Abyss
8. Threnody
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