Sadly, Agalloch disbanded in 2016 due to tensions between band members, but their final album is a fitting swan song, anchored by its beautiful opener. The track floats toward its rewarding climax, with the restraint making the payoff that much more rewarding. The space between notes is emphasized the tempo moves slowly, letting each tone ring out and disappear. The Portland, Oregon, band instead opt for a meditative post-metal minimalism on “Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation”. Agalloch – “Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation” (2014)Īgalloch’s 2014 album The Serpent & the Sphere opens with this 10-minute spiritual plea, which suppresses the overtly black metal tropes of their past work. Kicking off the band’s colossal 2010 album of the same name, the song’s raw and live sonics fit perfectly (kudos should be given to producer Greg Fidelman) - like a furry loincloth on an axe-wielding barbarian. And there is nothing “progg-y” about the track - it’s front-to-back chock full of Matt Pike’s bear-like growls and meaty riffs, with added smash ‘em/bash ‘em drumming courtesy of Des Kensel. Unlike other metal tunes that utilize extended song durations to show off a band’s snazzy technical skills or their poetic prose, High on Fire’s “Snakes for the Divine” is eight minutes plus of pure brutality. High on Fire – “Snakes for the Divine” (2010)

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