It’s easy to fall into an endless cavern of despair and pain, and it’s just as simple to be overtaken by all of the negativity and sorrow as both can be overwhelming forces that can devour you whole. But it’s not impossible to overcome that, and fighting back from the pit of hopelessness is a sign of strength and perseverance one should embrace.

Glyph is a one-man black metal force helmed by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Keeper of the Glyph, and the project’s excellent new record “Odes of Wailing, Hymns of Mourning” tells you a lot upfront about what the music contains. But like we said in the opening, even amidst so much darkness and sadness, triumph still can be present by trying to fight back against the chaos. Without knowing what informed the album, the music gives clear access to all of those areas, the dark and the light, and the melodies and driving emotions contained within the record easily can set one’s heart and mind ablaze. Yes, the mental heaviness has weight, but so does the surging power that can help you rise above the madness and live to fight another day. And another one beyond that in perpetuity.

“Of the Caverns” opens with sounds gushing, shrieks hammering away as the tornadic gust keeps gaining steam. The playing blisters as other colors blend into the mix, howls echoing as if in a cavern, effusive melodies picking up and spiraling into oblivion. “Man Has Succumbed to Madness” brings churning guitars, vicious howls, and a tempo that batters, rushing hard around folds and bends. The leads tangle as the cries bury you under rubble, everything encircling in an unforgiving storm. “All Anger and Hatred Manifesting” is humid to start, hypnosis stretching its pull, the screams crushing, a brief halt leading to all elements bleeding out and back in and fully mesmerizing. Nerve endings tingle as the center point tears opens again, savage cries reverberate as the bass pulses, and murk swallows everything whole. “Descending the Loam” is numbing as it starts, and then it begins to unload, riffs entrancing as the chaos blasts, trudging through a mauling gaze. Everything blisters before a frozen gaze hovers, the freezing ambiance pulling over steady cries and a snaking aura that jabs away.

“A Most Unwholesome Interaction” serves up frothy melodies and crushing growls, the blood feeling like it is retreating from your extremities. Shrieks ripple as the bass playing quakes the earth, a gush of infectious power getting into your bloodstream, battering at the same time until the lights go out. “The Unfortunate Gentleman in Question” opens as icy black metal, guitars jabbing as the howls cause brush burns, the slippery bass work icing mental wounds. The playing cascades as the leads strike and coat veins with salt, leading into heavy riffs that usher in a crushing end. “To Lose What We Have Learned” starts with ominous leads, the frost again becoming a factor, the vocals lashing at flesh as the tempo crushes. Speed injects more energy as an entrancing presence looms, melodic leads hurtling into the sky. Closer “Between Ghost and Gloom” arrives with sorrowful riffs and an eruption that spits rock through the air, mauling and glimmering. The glow gets more penetrating as a new eruption spews lava, emotional waves blazing toward your heart, the fires raging one more time before abruptly fading.

It’s impossible to experience “Odes of Wailing, Hymns of Mourning” and not feel it in every cell of your being, as Glyph has been a project into which all of its creator’s blood and guts are spilled generously. The pain and triumph both are there and palpable, and once the music comes to an end, you’ll feel like you’ve gone through a full emotional journey. This is a record that takes hold of you and pulls you along all of the twists and turns physically and psychologically, leaving you more calloused for the better.

For more on the band, go here: https://keeperoftheglyph.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (vinyl), go here: https://shapeofstormsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/glyph-odes-of-wailing-hymns-of-mourning

Or here (CD): https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/

Or here (cassette): https://weregnomerecords.bandcamp.com/album/odes-of-wailing-hymns-of-mourning

For more on the label, go here: https://shapeofstormsrecords.bandcamp.com/

And here: https://www.facebook.com/fiadhproductions

And here: https://weregnomerecords.bandcamp.com/