Sleeping Ancient aren’t here to mince words. On their debut album, the quartet profess that There is No Truth But Death in an atmospheric, post-rock influenced black metal statement. A sense of dread exists within the songs, each song painting a dreary, emotional landscape.
Throughout There is No Truth But Death, Sleeping Ancient alternate between two speeds, one slower and more depressive, the other incorporating blast beats and greater levels of aggression. Oftentimes, like on “Taphephobic Hallucinations,” the Texas black metal upstarts show both sides on the same track.
“There is No Truth But Death is a crucible of contradiction,” state Sleeping Ancient. “It’s living in a world of lies and distraction while still perceiving it for what it is. It is forlorn ugliness and it is sublime majesty. It’s consuming darkness pierced by shards of light. It’s the end and it is the beginning of life; the ouroboros eating its tail. It is confusion and harsh chaos, and it is also the quiet respite from it. The wild pendulum swing of urban decay that never ends, yet slowly distilling new visions and yearning for true sight beyond eyes.”
Listen to There is No Truth But Death below. The album is out tomorrow on Viridian Flame.
