Louisiana experimental doom metal duo RADIANT KNIFE have released a video for "Disciple Of The Astral Plane," premiered by Everything Is Noise. The song is the third track on Sankalpa, the band's sixth full-length, out independently on November 13.
It's the second taste of the record after the eight-minute instrumental title track, which arrived when the duo announced the album last month. This time there are vocals, and the band describe the song as a look at the roots of human consciousness and our connection to each other and to "the not so apparent universe." In their words, "driving transcendental riffs, floating vocals and subtle synth overlays eventually culminate into anthemic dueling guitars guiding you off the edge of the astral plane."
The premiering site heard some of the most ethereal material the duo have made so far, singling out the understated solo near the end, and noted with some relief that the video doesn't seem to use any AI.
RADIANT KNIFE are Stephen Sheppert (guitars, synth, vocals) and Greg Travasos (drums). They come out of the stranger corners of Louisiana's heavy music and draw on the mid-'90s Relapse, Hydra Head and Amphetamine Reptile catalogs. Sankalpa, a Sanskrit word for a solemn vow or focused intention, follows 2023's Pressure with a more melodic, groove-driven and layered sound. Sheppert recorded, mixed and mastered it at Starless Sound; the artwork is by Terry Grow.
Sankalpa tracklist:
- Amber Waves
- Crystal Oscillation
- Disciple Of The Astral Plane
- Down On The River Bank
- Sankalpa
- Consciousness As The Foundation Of Reality
- Bewailer
- Through The Heliopause
- Bones
- On The Mend
Order & Stream "Sankalpa": Bandcamp