Glacier bring to the table a refreshing blend of genres and some seriously crushing riffs. Though Your Sins Be As Scarlet, They Shall Be White As Snow; Though They Be Red Like Crimson, They Shall Be As Wool, released online about a week ago, brings some of the heaviest tunes of the year.

The opening song, Though Your Sins Be As Scarlet, They Shall Be White As Snow, builds with screeching intensity into a complex cacophony of heavy riffs and interweaving chords, reminiscent of classic Sleep drones.  When the riff is this good let it breath.  At about 5:43 the glacier cracks and you are plummeted into a chasm of sound, sweet sweet sound.  Glacier does an incredible job of creating soundscapes that are brutally deep while maintaining delicate ambience.  With an absence of vocals, the sample of a preacher giving his sermon creates relief from the onslaught of the song.  The religious imagery created by the sample drop, along with the album/song titles pulled from Isaiah 1:18, and the cavernous reverberations from the 3 guitars (yes 3) create unsettling feelings of doom and dread.

Though They Be Red Like Crimson, They Shall Be As Wool, builds with a slow rumbling drone.  The tension rises as new layers enter the fray.  Repeat listens of this song will reveal subtle string work, satisfying feedback, and excellent bass runs that can get lost with the trudging glacial wall of sound, something the band hopes to convey with their name.

Though Your Sins Be As Scarlet, They Shall Be White As Snow; Though They Be Red Like Crimson, They Shall Be As Wool, shows tremendous growth over the last few years since their previous release.  The album demonstrates an understanding of their sound and maturity as musicians.  Well worth the download, but get the vinyl when it comes out too.  Check it out below.