Stream Black Tusk’s Pillars of Ash in its Entirety

Pillars of Ash, the new album by Savannah crushers Black Tusk, is a loaded release. The band lost founding member and bassist Jonathan Athon in late 2014, just after they’d finished recording the album. But rather than trash Pillars and disband or bring in a new member, the band had the record remastered by Toxic Holocaust’s Joel Grind and released with Athon’s original vocals intact.

Thankfully, Pillars also rules. It showcases Black Tusk’s genre-straddling sound while still getting across their classic brand of aggression and abrasiveness. So while it’s heavy to hear a record where you know the vocals come from beyond the grave, one can’t help but think it’s a worthy goodbye to a fallen friend.

Pillars drops Friday on Relapse, but the band has decided to stream the album ahead of its release. You can listen to it below.

[via Metal Underground]