It's been a while since I found myself in a post metal mood but this last month or so has been chock full of glacial riffs and roiling drums. Maybe it's the change in the weather or just the excellent crop of post metal that I've been introduced to, but I can't seem to get away from the more energetic and groovy type of post metal. From that excellent crop, Semuta's name stands tall, as the band gears up to release Glacial Erratic on May 24th. This is an expansive and extremely well composed post metal album that channels all of the great themes and sounds of the sub-genre to an impressive degree of proficiency. "Toeing the Line", the album's opening track which I am ecstatic to premiere here today, is a fantastic introduction to the release; head on down below to check it out!
The moment I knew that I wanted to premiere something from this album and that I would grow to like this release very much comes at the two minutes and fifty fived second mark of this track. I simply adore the guitar tone utilized on this bridge and the way it blends with the groovy and agile drums. The calmer passage it leads into is also beautiful, creating that tension between light and dark that post metal is so good for. Elsewhere, the redolent bass tone creates that same tension with the scintillating vocals, adding to the sense of tension and friction that keeps this track, and the entire album, moving forward.
That's maybe the number one reason I keep coming back to Glacial Erratic; even though it's not a very short release, it's a very concise one. Semuta manage to dodge the pitfall of most post metal, the one of belaboring the point, and always keep things energetic, efficient, and precise. This lends Glacial Erratic an undeniable energy, one in which you can partake in yourself very soon. For now, head on over to the band's Bandcamp page to pre-order this release; I firmly believe it will go down as one of the better post metal releases of 2024.