Capacity for scale is the key limiter to expanding human consciousness beyond its known brink wherein philosophical, theoretical and mathematical functions cease to convey their point(s) without feasibly communicating any available proofing to the lay person. As the rope of the mind knots into increasingly wild shapes, introducing thrilling new ideas on one end while the other end must release and leave behind its findings to make room, we continually unravel our own lifeline(s) to profundity. Lost in a sea of cosmic wonderment and their own signature illustrious forms this ~sixth full-length album from Thessaloniki, Greece-based psychedelic/progressive black metal sextet HAIL SPIRIT NOIR intends to bask in said majesty as viewed in the abstract, using experimental forms and chaotically achieved whorls to illustrate what it is to be out towing ones own line into the unknown. ‘Fossil Gardens‘ feeds off of an aura of awe, uncannily stomping and floating its way through a beauteous, sleekened quest and one which acts in direct follow-up to their previous canonical LP. Quasar synths, modern progressive metal lure, and surrealistic prog-black metal trampling all shoot scattered across their vision and provide remarkably grand, hifalutin extremes in the process of chasing these knotted explorations as far as they’ll stretch.

Hail Spirit Noir formed as a trio circa 2010 featuring three members from the (since on-hold) avant-garde black metal troupe Transcending Bizarre?, carrying on some of the daring and over the top visions they’d been at work on for the prior ten years while creating something altogether new in the process. Their work would flow at a fairly regular clip since then, variously emphasizing new-found visions of both psychedelia-infused abstraction and increasingly honed classic et noveau progressive rock inspiration. The bigger break of their second full-length album (‘Oi Magoi‘, 2014) elevated their infamy to a considerable degree and from there they’ve enjoyed the pulpit and the freedom to do as they wish. My review of their fourth album (‘Eden in Reverse‘, 2020) generally detailed their development during the 2010’s where references to Oranssi Pazuzu, Sigh, and such suggest well enough the adventurous realm of past works. That particular album was brilliant for my own taste landing at #49 on my Top 100 Albums of the Year thanks to its retro-futurist science-fictive bent, where I’d suggested it explored “[…] deeper surrealistic art and science fiction influence in realizing their seemingly subconscious shift towards late 70’s and 80’s progressive rock influences.” via imaginative use of synth and dramatically soaring vocal efforts. If you are not yet familiar with that album I’d suggest giving it at least a cursory listen as ‘Fossil Gardens‘ intends to follow-up the muse of that release with a more aggressive approach, now roughing up the edges of their imaginative progressive metal sound.

Though it is more of a black metal record than its predecessor, and that is not counting their one-off horror retrowave/synthwave album ‘Mannequins‘ circa 2021, the somber and affected pallor of ‘Eden in Reverse‘ is traded for earthen, almost folken virtuosity on ‘Fossil Gardens‘ where a song like “Curse You, Entropia” is certainly black metal in its rawly spent tones and execution but the song itself is built around lovely harmonized guitars, a tarantella of a chorus and a warmer statement than expected per its theme. While I wouldn’t suggest this is a full shift to something Borknagar-esque there is a glowing, bounding sense of adventure rippling through the first half of this album as the dance of “The Blue Dot” and the scenic expanse of “The Temple of Curved Space” present choral rouse and/or the familiar presence of longtime guest vocalist Dimitris Dimitrakopoulos‘ resounding hum within complex but tuneful songs, all appearing relevant to one singular thread. While this is sure to be pleasant, possibly even a bit challenging for its ebullient spirit, it may not be weirding and jagged-edged as fans of earlier Hail Spirit Noir might want though it is a return to heavier climes.

Observing this fairly natural course of change conjures admiration more than it does complaint, though getting the nausea of late 90’s black metal applied to an indulgent state is more familiar, known territory than that of ‘Eden in Reverse‘. Making a striding, jogging folk-black waltz of it to start wasn’t at all what I’d expected from this release, though, and it is some accomplishment that this album sounds distinctly Hail Spirit Noir in its undertaking; As the band describe it the intent of this album, its glossier production values and more aggressive sense of movement, was to take the focus away from the dazzling design of their machine parts and emphasize the holistic impression made by the music itself. In this sense ‘Fossil Gardens‘ is a dispersal of density where the tightly wound float of their ideas practically drives itself through those first four or so songs before Side B opus “The Road to Awe” cues us more clearly into the scale of their creation, a less erratic apex which then makes its surreal mark before the title track attempts to roll into a point of finale. This’d felt like an unfinished thought from my point of view, a rapid dissolution and a snap to a blank screen as it’d ended.

The essence of ‘Fossil Gardens‘ is energetic, cosmos-sourced in its loft yet the majority of it reaches for expertly stated, tuneful moments for impact. An entire piece might read as complex or fastidiously composed but the part you’ll recall for days after might be a ranting rhythm or a vocally driven hook with relatively simple effect. The reason this works as well as it does comes with Hail Spirit Noir‘s ability to generate a remarkably spaced-out and searching atmosphere which acts as fluid medium so that these songs can roll off the tongue without weighing down the senses, there is an ease felt while drifting through the full listen despite its many intense parts milling at once under hood. In this way their craft represents classic progressive rock inspiration in an indirect sense, or, much like earlier Norwegian prog-black they’ve put the statement and its repeatable effect before the method in terms of presentation.

Per my own taste ‘Fossil Gardens‘ was entertaining but not entirely captivating as, or, did not bear the cinematic coldness and fixation of ‘Eden in Reverse‘ as this is more of a flowing, focused beast. Yet it still makes sense as a related quasi-second chapter of this exposition on the eternal search for knowledge, meaning and transcendence. Despite feeling lost in the hypnotic waves of Hail Spirit Noir‘s ambitious exploratory forms at times I’d found myself enjoying this record for its memorable songcraft and the general ease of the full listen. All of the band’s work is a cut above, no doubt on that, but this time around these folks’ve provided a less challenging, at times nearly uncharacteristically sleek black metal infused experience and I’d walked away feeling like it was less of a leap and more of a sidebar in a thoughtful yet surprisingly atmospheric direction. A moderately high recommendation.

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