Style: post-metal, progressive death metal, atmospheric black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Immolation, Cult of Luna, Moonsorrow, Mare Cognitum
Country: Canada
Release date: 2 May 2025
I’ve always found it hilarious when veteran bands release their umpteenth studio album and hype it up as the work they’re most proud of yet, proclaiming that everybody will love it. I’m sure they know they’ve been phoning it in for several albums, and their label obligates them to say that (looking at you Dream Theater and Neal Morse). But maybe they really are just blind to having lost their spark. Not every record is a highlight of your career 15+ albums in, and it’s laughable to state that’s the case. A Flock Named Murder are only on their sophomore album, but in their promotional material, they make even stronger claims than the old legends: they are both “the inner sanctum of the self as a pyre” and “the infinite silence of god,” at the same time a “a eulogy burning away the very idea of worship” and “a rumination on humanity and those we’ve lost”… among several other bold assertions. Is Incendiary Sanctum worthy of the poetic bravado accompanying it, or do their claims top the absurdity of Dream Theater calling Parasomnia an inspired record?
The Canadians A Flock Named Murder occupy a liminal space between several styles of extreme metal, melding post-, prog, death, and black metal across the lengthy journey of four sweeping epics—each clocking in over the thirteen-minute mark. That alone is an ambitious tracklist for a fledgling band, ambition a trait which A Flock Named Murder have in spades. However, just as few bands can be both the infinite silence of god and the inner sanctum of the self as pyre, only a select few can pull off four gargantuan tracks on one record. Sadly, A Flock Named Murder accomplish neither.
A whole lot of wasted space makes its way onto Incendiary Sanctum, causing an already lengthy album a slog to push through. Starting with campfire sounds and three minutes of pleasant guitar noises, it’s clear from the start that the journey will be a lengthy one, but sometimes the best musical storytelling needs a dramatic beginning. Meanwhile, tracks “The Eulogy Fields” and “Pierced Flesh Catharsis” end with a minute of reverb. Other sections in the midst of tracks slow down to a doomy crawl, letting the distinctive glisten of post-metal guitars lead the way, but these moments are too slow and awkwardly placed, being forced into the middle of a track and dismantling the momentum A Flock Named Murder had gained during the black and death metal sections. Regrettably, while all the instruments sound tight, the production is rather loud, leading to a loss of any dynamic respite from the heavier sections, even when calmed down to a buildup.
When not sluggishly pushing through post- build ups or reverb-laden conclusions, A Flock Named Murder often shine bright, particularly with their fiery, Mare Cognitum-inspired bursts of tremolo picking. Guitarist Ryan Mueller performs solid death metal riffs, further cementing that Incendiary Sanctum should have remained at a faster speed. And the highlights of the album are consistently Mueller’s solos—particularly those in “Garden of Embers” and “To Drown in Obsidian Tides.” The former reprises a main melody from earlier in the track, contributing to a sense of thoughtfulness to the songwriting that large swaths of the album don’t have due to some disorderly transitions between disparate styles. A Flock Named Murder tried their damndest to tie everything together and just put too much weight on the bar.
As is the case with many young bands, in trying to defy easy categorization with their mix of styles, A Flock Named Murder sacrificed Incendiary Sanctum’s sense of cohesion. With focused songwriting and an emphasis on their strong atmospheric black metal and guitar parts, a follow-up could drastically improve upon these foundations. And I do think shifting their ambitions from being “a rumination on humanity and those we’ve lost” to “writing a good album” would be beneficial.
Recommended tracks: To Drown in Obsidian Tides
You may also like: Inter Arma, Mizmor, Black Lava, Felgrave
Final verdict: 5/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives
Label: Hypaethral Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
A Flock Named Murder is:
Ryan Mueller – Guitars, Voice
Mike Wandy – Bass, Voice
Cam Mueller – Drums, Lyrics
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