This New Sulphur Album is Off the Hook

Apparently Norway’s Sulphur released their first full-length album in 2007, so I feel like a dumbass for not hearing about them until this morning. That said, I’d rather be a latecomer to the party than have never shown up at all, because man, this stuff rules!

What kind of stuff, exactly? It’s a little difficult to pin down. There’s definitely black metal at the forefront — the band features past members of Enslaved, Aeternus, and Gorgoroth — but it all comes through a wonky thrash lens that makes it comfortable next to bands like VHÖL or Hammers Of Misfortune. Then there are bizarre emotional keyboard sections that are a little gothy but more just classic rock-oriented. It’s incredibly weird, but at the same time very compelling, as though Enslaved went more in the direction of Goblin and Voivod rather than Pink Floyd. Fans of every genre or band I’ve mentioned will find something to dig herein.

Sulphur’s newest album, Omens of Doom, is out now in Europe but lands in America on Friday via Dark Essence Records. Listen to “Gathering of Storms” below, and if you like it, check out the rest of the album on their Bandcamp.