10,000 Years: III

Recorded in Sweden's legendary Studio Sunlight, the conclusion of 10,000 Years' sci-fi trilogy, III, is a blistering convergence of talent and artistic cohesion from a band that is ready for whatever acclaim comes its way. They tweak the formula just enough to differentiate the new batch from the first two installments, but the foundation of what bassist/vocalist Alex Risberg, guitarist Erik Palm, and drummer Espen Karlsen have been building since 2020 remains very much intact.

Opener "Cult Axe" finds Risberg delivering a spitfire sermon a la Tom Araya atop an earthshaking riff from Palm that sets the tone for what the rest of the album is going to be. Because these guys take their craft seriously, there's a cinematic quality to the pacing that separates it from the usual stoner metal arc. "The Secret of Water," "The Green King Rises," and "Il Cattivo" each become more intricate as they go along while building toward the ultimate one-two punch in "Escape From Earth" and "To Suns Beyond" to finish things off. The 8-minute, 55-second instrumental exclamation point of "To Suns Beyond" especially sounds as if it would be right at home during the closing credits of an epic film.

Palm's guitar work is impressive throughout and the taut production from Tomas Skogsberg allows Karlsen to shine on the skins without sounding tinny in the slightest. Their confidence in themselves and the material is evident, which makes it easy for the listener to buy into what they're selling. If you can picture The Sword or High on Fire with a Slayer-esque vocal delivery and find that combination appealing, then you won't be disappointed with what 10,000 Years brings to the table here.

Track Listing:
1. Cult Axe
2. Megafauna
3. Desert Of Madness
4. The Secret Of Water
5. The Green King Rises
6. Il Cattivo
7. Escape From Earth
8. To Suns Beyond

Added: July 15th 2022
Reviewer: David Hens
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 552
Language: english

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