The longer you’re alive on this earth, the more pain and loss you’re going to experience. It’s a natural progression through life, albeit an uncomfortable one, and these are events can leave us reeling, finding it difficult to move forward and create a new comfort zone.

Denver-based melodic death metal band Oak, Ash & Thorn face that on all fronts on their rousing second record “Our Grief Is Thus.” Over eight tracks and 39 minutes, the band—vocalist/guitarist Adam Armstrong, guitarist/vocalist Jason Harding, bassist Erik Hoffman, drummer Cierra White—creates a concept piece of sorts that addresses grief and loss in all of its forms. That can be personal, societal, familiar, you name it as all of them have a profound impact on who we are, where we live, and how we shape our future. The music here is exciting and crushing, something that, if the lyrical context was ignored, could be something that gets your adrenaline going. And it still might, but the messages contained within can’t be ignored, nor should they be.

“Dying Culture” has a massive open, only hinting at the energy ahead, and from there, harsh growls and clean singing team, the chorus rushing full force. Things continue to build, vicious howls belting as the call of, “This is the sound of our culture dying,” resonates in your chest. “Like the Sea, I Raged” opens fluidly, the power trickling, and then the playing begins to mash, the leads glimmering above the filth, the melodies swimming and surging, going deep into progressive waters. Growls stretch as fiery bursts open wounds, stretching and jarring, thrashing into the dirt. “Ten Years on the Tundra” dawns with glorious singing, then punchiness as the melodies cause roadways to feel slick, the chorus gusting with, “Time to bury me, bury deep my tired bones.” Guitars lather as a twin-lead attack mounts, taking off into an explosion of heat, the chorus returning to usher in a rousing finish. “Bury Deep My Tired Bones” is a sun-splashed interlude, feeling like it’s leaning into the heat of summertime, leaving you basking in the light.

“Light My Pyre” begins with pulsating energy, fiery howls mixing with rousing singing, and the tempo racing, taking on a punk-like bravado. Barked cries punch as the drums are absolutely decimated, the chorus powering, and then a sinister turn emerges that leaves the remains shrouded in darkness. “Auras” is another that mixes strong singing with powerful growls, each element allowing dark and light to shine through as majestic playing jars your adrenaline. The leads lather as the playing jolts, the howl of, “Light of the north, guide us forth, we are your chosen,” making blood boil, ending in a spirited gust. “Distant Mountains, Distant Gods” sits on the edge of a storm, birds cawing, stirring guitars opening the lid. Gruff growls lash as the singing soars, the ambiance feeling glorious, trudging through electric leads and punishing shrieks. The hammer continues to drop, pounding through sludge and death, leaving a shock of ash behind. Closer “Unchain the Wolf” has the drums gutting, vile howls leaving their marks, and a tempo that feels tornadic. The howls peel back flesh as melodies gather layers, everything building to the final storm that blisters with a charge that leaves you scurrying for safety as the last blasts level the planet.

We’re all dealing with loss in some sense, and to deny that is to stunt our own growth moving forward. Oak, Ash & Thorn cover all that on “Our Grief Is Thus,” a record that blazes with melodic death metal power and also refuses to shy away from the damage we’ve taken on over our lives. It’s a rousing album that could do a small part of helping us make connections to aspects of our lives we’ve lost and try to power into a new future.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://oakashandthorn.bandcamp.com/album/our-grief-is-thus

For more on the label, go here: https://www.lostfuturerecords.com/