01) Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin, Stygian Bough Volume II (Profound Lore)

Bell Witch’s last three releases have all made my top 10 lists, including my number one spot in 2023. Now they’ve come for my top spot again, this time paired with Aerial Ruin a.k.a. Erik Moggridge on guitar. The band describes Stygian Bough Volume II as “[branching] into new territory all the while threaded to the original encounter”, and I think that’s the most apt way to sum up the album. As opposed to the big build up and ebb and flow of Bell Witch’s previous works, this one launches into the heavy pretty quickly and it more or less sticks to that, even upping the tempo a bit at times. That’s not to say it feels watered down at all and this is still funeral doom, but it’s almost like Bell Witch’s version of cutting loose. Jesse Shreibman’s drumming is a bit more active this time around, and Dylan Desmond’s bass paired with Moggridge’s guitar and vocals makes this feel much more like a solid trio, which isn’t a surprise given their collaborative history at this point. Heavy, moody, and perfect for winter or anytime you need something while you sit in the dark and contemplate the world.
Key Track: “Waves Became The Sky”

Honorable Mentions:

Dormant Ordeal, Tooth and Nail
Messa, The Spin
Blackbraid, Blackbraid III
Deafheaven, Lonely People With Power
Explosions in the Sky, American Primeval Soundtrack

Matt Brown

See Full Bio