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PREMIERE: Hope Drone Channel Darkness and Light on "The Chords That Thrum Beneath the Earth"

Stream a new black/doom song from the atmospheric Aussies.

Photo courtesy of Relapse Records

One of the dangers of signing to a bigger label with a robust, constantly expanding roster is that sometimes smaller, weirder bands fall through the cracks, or find themselves overshadowed by marquee names and hot commodities. Even an independent label like Relapse puts out enough buzzworthy records that a few gems invariably get lost in the shuffle. I'm seriously hoping that it doesn't happen to Hope Drone, though, because they're too damn good to fade into the background.

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The Brisbane quartet have hovered under the radar since the band's 2011 inception, self-releasing two digital EPs before signing on the dotted line. Relapse will release their debut full-length, Cloak of Ash, later this month, and it's a highly recommended listen for anyone who's ever wished that Wolves in the Throne Room and Amenra would write a song together. As you'll notice in the new song we're exclusively premiering below, Hope Drone takes core elements of atmospheric sludge (think Year of No Light), progressive, light-fingered black metal (not unlike Vattnet Viskar or Woods of Desolation), and punches it up with an especially ferocious drummer.

It's a very modern sound, and wholly unlike the usual blasphemous black/death that usually comes merauding out of the Antipodes. I could see these guys on tour with The Atlas Moth, or Tombs, or even Thou—and in 2015, that ain't a bad place to be.

Cloak Of Ash will be available on CD, double LP and digitally via Relapse Records on July 24; digital preorders are up now, and if you feel like getting physical, indulge here. For now, get lost in "The Chords That Thrum Beneath the Earth":

Kim Kelly is droning away on Twitter: @grimkim