Review SOULBURN “Quantifying Cosmic Doom”

Soulburn emerged from the ashes of Asphyx in 1996, took a few years off, and returned in 2013. The Dutch metal band has released four full-length albums, with “Noah’s D’ark” being their most recent.

With “Quantifying Cosmic Doom,” the band’s fifth studio album, they have a surprising new sound. Soulburn has always developed their sound, and the new album showcases a shift inspired by doom and black metal.

“The Bravehearts of Nightmares” is the name of the opener, which may surprise fans. The atmospheric, darker spirit is something we know more from bands like Primordial and I didn’t expect Twan van Geel to sing cleanly instead of growling. Some of the songs on this album, which runs for more than an hour, have a psychedelic edge.

The acoustic start of “Powehi, the Embellished Dark Source of Unending Creation” and the following sonic landscapes take the band to a new level. It’s as if cosmic stardust hit the band, leading them on a galactic musical adventure. It’s as if Fields of the Nephilim met blackened metal, which alternates between doom and death metal. Songs like “An Impious Journey Through the Cathedral’s Mouth” exemplify this fusion. A mesmerizing beat drives this gloomy tune with racing blackened blasts.

The roughness of northern nature echoes in “Stalactites of Molten Flesh,” and anyone wondering why Soulburn will tour with Mörk now has more context.

Galactic infinity resonates throughout “M87 — What Hopes to Be Born?” and “Quantifying Cosmic Doom” unveils many interesting twists. Each song feels like peeling off one layer of the album, a quality that also applies to the crawling doom riff that opens “Iconoclast Spews Black at the Razor’s Edge.” After such a ferocious start, the song takes a turn as Soulburn shifts gears. Furious leads, deep growls, and a massive wall of sound refer to the band’s earlier days, proving they never lost their connection to their roots.

I didn’t expect “Quantifying Cosmic Doom” to sound like this. Soulburn takes another step forward. While still into extreme metal, the Dutch metallers find ways to develop their sound and surprise listeners. Their fifth studio album is remarkable, showing the nearly boundless possibilities of metal. Enjoy this cosmic ride.