Grief is a motherfucker, and it is undefeated as far as us having no immunity from facing it, and even if we choose to ignore it, it only grows bigger and more ominous. Death is inevitable, and before our own demise, we will experience losing people who are important to us, be it friends, family, or pets. It’s coming, and facing it is as harrowing an experience as anything.

Canadian metal duo Mares of Thrace face this head on with “The Loss,” their new nine-track, 50-minute opus that tackles the process of death and its aftermath as we try to cope. Vocalist/guitarist Thérèse Lanz and drummer Casey Rodgers follow up 2022’s “The Exile” with this piece that is unlike anything they’ve released in the past. Yes, their abject heaviness, sludgy power, and Lanz’s angular, knifing guitar riffs all are in place, but they branch out musically and emotionally on this charring collection. Along the way, Lanz’s words pierce the heart, even amid drowning anger, as anyone who has had to bury a loved one or is on that tortuous path, will recognize the sentiment that is driven into you by a goddamn sledgehammer. 

“Anticipatory Grief” tears the lid off this thing, an urgent, black metal-smashed attack that feels like one finally coming to a breaking point. Lanz’s unmistakable riffs wrench around the fury as she levels, “I can’t bear to send another friend off to another journey in the soil.” From there, it’s a battle to survive the trauma, and then we’re off to “The First Stage: Shock” that chugs and brawls right away. Lanz’s vocals are more a hardcore-style shout, the playing stomping and bruising, singing quivering amid the carnage. “Losing you inch by inch is the worst torture ever devised,” Lanz wails, the muddy lashing leading to calmer moments that linger for a brief passing. Then the burst happens, snarls and singing uniting, the drums blasting, and Lanz pleading, “Just give me one more day.” “The Second Stage: Denial” barrels in with sludgy guitars, a doomy pall, and dirty, punishing playing. Strong guitars work flexes while the drums beat down, sweltering and swimming into melodic darkness, desperate cries blasting at your psyche. “The Third Stage: Anger” is less of an assault than expected from this phase, but it’s heavy as hell, and it’s blunt. Burly, muscular riffs thrash as Lanz howls, “I looked into your eyes the day you died, and I didn’t feel nothing.” From there, the playing pounds away, screams raging with passion and fury, the emotional release shooting sparks. “Disenfranchised Grief” is a crusher and one of the shorter tracks on the record, mashing through ash and glass, keys fluttering like a beam of light on a dreary day, start-stop drubbing adding ample bruising and mental stress that smears your mind.

“The Fourth Stage: Bargaining” begins with harmonizing singing, the playing dripping, then an explosion and total battery. The riffs cut through muscles as the shrieks rain down, the drums coming to life as the power builds into a bloody lather. The tempo remains intense as spoken lines drain down your spine, mournful melodies backing the tumult, the guitars darkening as wordless calls echo into the distance. “Complicated Grief” has guitars dripping, wails punching, and layers of filth piling at your feet. The riffs carve as the dirt clogs veins, Lanz lamenting, “I’ll never forgive myself for the things I let slip,” as the final moments blister and churn. “The Fifth Stage: Depression” runs 9:19, the longest track on here, and it begins moody and drizzling, piano notes dropping, Lanz speak-singing as the momentum picks up. Guitars get heated as the heaviness swells, smothering you completely under its weight, the screams piercing flesh before the pace grows colder. The path heads into the shadows, only to be met with metallic horrors as shrieks and crushing heaviness weigh down, a keyboard sheen tricks your mind, and the final strains of destruction burn through earth. Closer “The Final Stage: Acceptance” opens with chilling acoustics and synth winds, lush melodies adding some sense of soothing, a woman’s voice lamenting about losing her memory but maintaining her love and essence, a totally heartbreaking finish to a devastating record.

Losing a loved one is one of the most traumatic experiences we all will face one day, if we haven’t already, and every drop of “The Loss” perfectly captures the gamut of emotions one will experience as we navigate those harsh waters. Mares of Thrace always have been a force, but this record is above and beyond what they’ve created so far, a high-water mark for a project that has been delivering intensity their entire existence. This is a powerhouse both musically and emotionally, a record that I’ll keep near me as my own journey through grief continues for the rest of my days.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://artoffact.com/releases/the-loss/

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