Watching a vision come into focus can be an incredibly exciting thing, that is when the direction makes sense and isn’t going to destroy the whole thing. It happens that away a lot with bands that going through metamorphosis with each album cycle as you can see the parts coming into place, and you just wonder where their ambitions eventually lead them.

As for Chrome Waves, this is a band that’s in constant motion. From the early strains of their 2012 self-titled EP to their thrilling last full-length “The Rain Will Cleanse,” their biggest sonic departure yet, the band seemed to be finding their true identity, ensuring all avenues for exploration were open to them. Now we land on record three “Earth Will Shed Its Skin,” and it’s an example of all of the elements coming together, constructing all of the parts into a greater machine that we see on these six tracks. The band—vocalist/guitarist/synth player James Benson, guitarist/synth player Jeff Wilson, bassist Zion Meagher, (Garry Naples handles drums on the recording)—finds a solid path and reveals it on this album, one that still could reshape in the future but sure seems on solid footing.

“Forward” opens like a morning into the fog, punching in as the shrieks tear into flesh, the leads soaring into a lush chorus that stands against the verses. The playing rips apart, howls crushing, the guitars rushing through the air, wooshing and disappearing into immersive colors. “Under the Weight of a Billion Souls” is spacey and glazing as it opens, pushing into darker waters where Benson’s howls eat away at you, howling, “We close our eyes and pray.” The chorus brings the album’s title into the mix, Benson calling, “The earth will shed its skin,” as the playing gets immersive, churning as the pressure builds. The playing whips into a frenzy as siren-like noises swirl, the final moments fading into a vortex. “The Long Rope” pummels with vicious howls and a crashing tempo, an increasing haze eventually marring your vision, slashing away at sanity. Howls echo as things speed up, the synth wooshes, and cosmic forces make their way deep into your psyche.

“What Desperate Looks Like” brings ominous tones and guitars dripping ice water, clean singing helping create a haunting aura. The track continues to develop and lets freezing winds into the room, dark melodies swell, and synth creates a thickening storm that soaks the ground. “The Nail” slips into a synth haze, the track churning under a western feel, the detached singing having Benson calling, “Seeking mercy in the end.” The mist grows more oppressive, synth squeals, and horns echo, the pace then gaining speed. Shrieks rain down, the playing blisters, and the final rush makes your head feel ample pressure. Closer “Broken” simmers in darkness, strings crying, harsh howls leaving bruising. Emotions build as the intensity carves away at you, the playing finding a way to take you apart limb from limb but also enchant your mind. The darkness doubles as the journey continues into mystery, the playing spindles in the shadows, and the final bursts drain into horizon.

“Earth Will Shed Its Skin” is and isn’t a departure from “The Rain Will Cleanse” as it maintains a lot of the foggy and mysterious chemistry of that record but also digs back into the band’s black metal past. There’s so much interesting ground mined here, and it feels like Chrome Waves are finding themselves even more in their music, becoming something sharper and more dangerous. Wherever this journey is taking the band, going along with them is going to be tumultuous and cloaked in darkness.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/chromewavesofficial

To buy the album, go here: https://www.m-theoryaudio.com/store

For more on the label, go here: https://www.m-theoryaudio.com/