Endless Hiss – A Glaring Gathered Beneath the Impenitent Moon

If, as they say, “black metal is war,” Endless Hiss is building an army.

How else to explain the bold, uncompromising majesty contained within every glorious track of A Glaring Gathered… ? These are songs written to convert non-believers into a legion of die-hard fans without pulling any punches or alienating their disillusioned legions. You are either with them or against them – and you don’t want to be against them.

The shift towards inclusion and introspection has been gradual. Early cassette-only releases, such as Gutsfluff, traded in shock-value imagery, sonically indebted to second-wave black metal. Subsequent disc 8 Lives Too Many, a concept album, saw the band thankful to drop the tired “black cat on Halloween” antics for good.

Vocalist and principal lyricist Lord Purrdition then stepped up his game on Let Curiosity Take Us If It Might, a challenging and raw release, where the notoriously curmudgeonly leader of the band showed his first sign of broadening awareness. It was defiant and challenging, and – in hindsight – presaged the onslaught we’re now experiencing.

Musically, the band has never been better. Extended instrumentals like “Mouse, The Hunted” are dense, technically proficient masterpieces. But when such trailblazing melodies are married to soaring, emotionally-resonant vocals and lyrics, you get moving numbers like “Whither the Old Hand (Which Brings the Food)” – and woe be to anyone foolish enough to align themselves against Endless Hiss.

REVIEW FROM BOBBY BELLYRUB: Filled with arcane minutia, abstruse lore and dense instrumentation, an accessible point of entry to the heavy metal club has been difficult to find for music aficionados. Thank Endless Hiss for opening a window and allowing a fresh breeze to blow through, welcoming anyone brave enough to utter “enough.” Nihilism has never sounded so welcoming. A+