Ever since the release of their ‘In Gallows By Mass’ EP in 2017, Sheffield’s Ba’al have always been committed to pushing the boundaries of metal. That EP’s three tracks explored the extreme end of post-metal riffing, doom laden sounds, and even dropped in some black metal vocals for good measure. With a few melodic twists that explored a slightly more commercial goth based sound with clean vocals, there were concessions to some great melodies too, but didn’t offer anything particularly accessible to those not into extreme sounds.

A similar melting pot of pure darkness was explored further on the excellent ‘Ellipsism’ album, where bleak interludes met with extended workouts, where the band stretched their post metal influences brilliantly. In contrasting some massive doom riffs with moments of bleak ambient sounds, they probably couldn’t have pitched things much more confidently.

2024’s ‘Soft Eyes’ returns to the EP format which, in many ways, works brilliantly since it doesn’t allow for any filler, and the band’s purer focus results in some finely tuned heaviness throughout. That said, with the three tracks running to approximately twenty five minutes, you’ll own thrash and punk albums that are almost as long as this – and Van Halen’s ‘Fair Warning’ isn’t a lot longer – so it isn’t as if the band are robbing the listeners in terms of material here.

Opening with one of the EP’s extended pieces, the nine minute ‘Ornamental Doll’ at first places the listener among ambient noise. There are drones; the sounds of doors being opened and closed, and of birdsong – all of which serve to make the impending riffs sound even heavier. Then, latching onto a perfect blend of post metal and pure doom, those riffs crunch through with a genuine force, whilst retching black metal vocals ramp up the intensity. For those who can make it through the first couple of minutes, there’s a fantastic melodic treat awaiting when the band completely switch gears and introduce bright sounding, clean guitar and clean vocals. This puts them squarely in the realms of 80s goth, and its a stylistic choice that suits Ba’al brilliantly with singer Joe Stamps summoning a tone that’s very retro, but also very accessible. The contrast between his throaty roar and clean goth voice is huge, and this is exploited by the band with a greater ease than most. In some ways, though, this track works best when it falls somewhere between the two extremes; the moments where the goth is tempered by a black metal voice and the drums come through with a bigger punch sound superb. In a further musical shift, a grubbier guitar tone lends a couple of instrumental bridges something a little closer to trad metal, and when Ba’al eventually go “full doom”, a massive layer of distortion shares a sound that’s up there with the very best Svart Records signings and the drudgery of the likes of Electric Wizard. With a few blasts of pneumatic drums – closer to a death metal sound – a heavy sound becomes even heavier, before tailing off with a post-goth coldness that hints at bands like Cult of Luna, further sharing Ba’al’s desires to approach their music in a kitchen sink like fashion. Wherever you drop in, though, ‘Ornamental Doll’ promises epic scale darkness.

The equally huge ‘Bamber Bridge’ kicks off with a pulsing sound and a clean, circular guitar riff, setting a superb goth/post rock hybrid sound in place. The band use the repetitive, looping riffs to their advantage, slowly building upon them, exploring a prog like sense of scale with Richard Spencer’s bass providing a huge musical heart. Moving into an even more melodic, goth inspired riff, Nick Gosling and Chris Mole’s guitars share an equally cold yet beautiful melody, but this is merely a ruse to calm the listener before Ba’al literally explode. The arrival of an insanely heavy riff drops the band into a world of black metal and doom that’s even more intense than before. The main riffs shares a fierce bottom end that’s cultivated from the purest doom, and Luke Rutter’s drums punch through with a genuine intent. If you’re able to sit tightly for a few minutes, a brilliant post metal melody eventually shines through with more of a goth edge to the guitar work, which might be just enough to appease the slightly less patient ear. That said, the nod to something more accessible is brief. Eventually, the band embarks on a torrent of heaviness that explores the purest post metal, and with an intense black metal rasp overlaying everything, it’s certainly not for the extreme metal averse. The sheet of sound that fills the remainder of the number is occasionally broken by a jagged riff, but in terms of intensity here, Ba’al are very much in it for the long haul. Of course, if you’re already familiar with the band and have taken the journey with them up until this point, there’s a lot here to love.

The opening bars of ‘Yearn To Burn Bright’ find Ba’al exploring different extremes when an off-kilter prog metal rhythm overlays a huge drone and, later in the track, a strange combination of death metal riffs and sweeping strings adds even more to their musical palate. There’s very much a feeling that this is the work of a band not resting on their laurels or playing things safely, even though huge chunks of the number revert to a familiar post-black metal wall of sound. Even during those moments where the band settle into more of a “typical” sound, everything is brilliantly pitched: the wall of guitar-based noise crushes almost everything in its path; the drums punch through with a genuine clarity, and the abrasive vocal – although not always conveying audible lyrics – has a superb presence, thanks to a top notch sound courtesy of Joe Clayton’s engineering and final mix. It’s everything you’d expect from a man who’s previously worked in the studio with Ithaca and the mighty Tuskar.

In terms of extreme metal, this small package scores highly in terms of depth. There’s more here than a world of growled vocals and pure pneumatics and, as before, even the doomier elements have a broader, more cinematic feel than most. It is not in any way lightweight or commercial – there are moments that aren’t even particularly accessible – but for those amenable to such heavy and affronting sounds, ‘Soft Eyes’ is always entertaining. If you’re looking for some tightly wound post metal/extreme goth and doom riffs, then this EP comes highly recommended.

April 2024