Setting their sights on the blinding molten core of creation before becoming lost in the brimstone and thunder shattered maze of cataclysm resultant San José, Costa Rica-based psychedelic doom/sludge metal quartet Age of the Wolf reach for a darkest yet consciousness in their search for meaning on this second full-length album, fusing a more aggressive and dramatic tone into this conceptual undertaking. Ragged and hypnotic beyond expectations set by their previous full-length ‘A Pilgrimage to Nowhere‘ should rightfully read as a bigger, emboldened follow-up as these fellows deliver intense insight from different zone and their own lore-built setting. For the yet indoctrinated their innate blend of volatile sludge/doom metal, post-metal and fuzzed psychedelia will no doubt impress for the distinction it grants the group within this finest yet longplayer.

Age of the Wolf formed circa 2015 and seems to have been the vision of heavy psychedelic rock, doom metal, stoner metal and sludge metal by way of Christopher De Haan (Crypt Monarch, VoidOath) primarily. Their first year of activity yielded a self-titled debut mLP (‘Age of the Wolf‘, 2016) which’d featured a one-off rhythm section and a somewhat accessible, electrically charged stoner metal sound with an aggressive edge to its drumming and snarl to its vocals. That initial stab at it was solid enough but was remarkably straight forward compared to what’d develop over the next three years as the line-up evolved and soon included co-vocalist/bassist Jorge Camacho (ex-Bloodsoaked Necrovoid) and drummer Gabriel Ortiz (Deplorable, VoidOath) who’d help to expand the band’s oeuvre considerably, putting in the work until the aggressive early 2000’s sludge metal side of the group began to line up with their foundation of psychedelic doom metal, post-metal and stoner/heavy rock on their debut full-length (‘Ouroboric Trances‘, 2019). I’d reviewed the album favorably at the time and the main observation on my part essentially reiterates: “varied vocal ranges and harmonization between them allows Age of the Wolf to cover an enormous range of styles that’ll resonate with doom, sludge, death, and even post-metal listeners. It’ll never feel like a ‘kitchen sink’ record but an oddly full range attack for a band just starting out.” that is to say a serious Yob fan would connect with that album immediately within its tone and meandering, poignant venture but ultimately get something different out of it.

From that point it seems Age of the Wolf were seeking a way forward beyond the mountain they’d just created and overall a bit of their meaner, ornately grooved sludge/doom metal side would amp up in the process as it became clear they were going -through- the caverns of the mind rather than around them on this journey toward purpose and identity. Their split with Tel (‘Vigils‘, 2021) a couple of years later impressed me with its almost Ramesses-esque hissing-and-doomed riff heavy sound alongside its stellarly production values. It wasn’t an entirely clear sense of direction indicated per what’d arise on ‘A Pilgrimage to Nowhere‘ but there was some manner of existential narrative generated on the two pieces of their split LP which directly continues on this second full-length where the quartet take the plunge into deeper, darker characterization and an even more hypnotically angled descent.

The indication is that ‘A Pilgrimage to Nowhere‘ bears a storyline, lore which conveys a larger concept which revolves around a main character seeking enlightenment and eventually a key choice which I’d read as a reach for god-like power and in the process they cause a cataclysm which is generally illustrated in the complete version of the gatefold artwork for the album (per Mark Erskine). The implied narrative reads as if in a primal setting, a pagan reality closer to nature and elemental spiritus and the outcome seems to suggest physical transcendental passage rather than enlightenment, or, some manner of harsh reality as an endpoint. The language used is heavily symbolic and succinct, doing a fine job of avoiding anything too verbose that’d distract from the hypnotic bustle of the full listen but enough to convey a feeling from piece to piece. Opener “The Searing Eye” should prove ear-catching for how well it eases between aggressive bellowed roars and a remiss chorale as we get our first taste of what I’d consider at least a small dose of the mid-2000’s Neurosis and (early) Mastodon era of sludge metal stabbing through their work, especially as the segue right into “Thundering Epochs”.

For my own taste in sludge metal, which’d hit most squarely in the mid-to-late 90’s and generally thinned-to-shreds beyond ‘The Eye of Every Storm‘, the first half of ‘A Pilgrimage to Nowhere‘ has some of that psychedelic torment in hand but given fiery accelerant alongside more twisted and severe taste in their nods to both traditional doom metal and the bounding cruelty of nowadays sludge, too. The atonal, gashed upon neck wound that is “Onward to Penumbra” makes it clear that these folks do appreciate the classics but they’re not dancing madly backwards in time as a point of purpose. There is an obsessive, devotional vexation which develops within those first three pieces (and releases on “Doomhex” soon after) that’d reminded me exactly what depth of possibilities the acid-soaked and organic feeling of a certain shade of sludgy psychedelic doom can provide and precisely at the moment it’d begun to feel oppressive and destructive in its intent Age of the Wolf set the moment free with a curse and burning altar.

The death-metallic dual guitar grind into “Nexus Exitium (Pyrophylaciorium)” as Side B arrives sets up one of the more impressive, memorable feats on the full listen where we get the clearest picture of just how much the rhythmic, melodic and compositional strengths of the band have been given a more physical push into frame while also sophisticating in to greater density beyond the more lax movement of ‘Ouroboric Trances‘. We reach the aggravated apex of the cataclysm therein as the whirring kicks and atonal bludgeoning gallop of “Conjuration of the Obsidian Colossus” digs in a bit harder and picks up and more percussive bass presence amidst harmonic striking and uneasy grooves set us within that moment of eruption. This is the major stamp of the album and yes, again, we can compare the scope of eerie sojourn towards sovereignty and explosive cataclysmic result to previously mentioned artists but update this notion with the grittiest, not-so post-metal (but still kinda post-metal) side of the band which we find on closer “The Phantom Electric”. The closure this piece brings is vital to the full listen and the fact that the overall spin kept it around ~40 minutes felt perfect when it came time to leave the record on repeat.

Though it will take more time with ‘A Pilgrimage to Nowhere‘ to fully grasp where the protagonist ends up the time I’ve spent with Age of the Wolf‘s second full-length record feels like a pronounced step beyond the uncertain traveler soul of their first, a deadly strike at a darker narrative which means more to their combined troupe and as such it lands more passionately roared from the speakers. Though I’ve emphasized its sludge metal aggression and suggested some post-metal/psychedelic rock inspired interruptions to break up the action and take it places there is of course more nuance to the moment to moment threading together of these elements as this record never feels disparate or confused in its gallop forth. Details, such as the synth infused movements sewn into the end of certain tracks, continue to reveal themselves despite hours of immersion and this bodes well for the album’s staying power. A high recommendation.

Note: Cassette version via Three Moons Records

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