Irist - Gloria

Label- Nuclear Blast Records

Release Date - 16th September 2022

Releasing their debut album Order Of The Mind in March 2020, Atlanta sludge unit Irist could never have foreseen what an unfortunate time this would be to introduce themselves to the world. With ten outstanding tracks primed to decimate stages across the globe, the pandemic struck, and what many people assumed would be over in a few months rolled on for years, killing any momentum the band had generated before it could really get off the ground.

With members hailing from Argentina, Chile, Brazil and America, the band formed in 2015 and signed to Nuclear Blast after sending a four-song EP (mixed by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Russian Circles)), to the one and only Monte Conner. As they say, the rest is history.

From listening to their debut album it is abundantly clear that Irist is a super talented set of musicians with lofty song-writing skill, having penned the sort of vast, expansive anthems that are, quite frankly, astounding for a first full length. Two years on and Gloria, a five-track EP, displays the sort of fearsome creative upturn that proves that COVID downtime has been used to great effect.

The opening title track starts with a lull before unleashing into your face, full of aggression and conviction. Spilling over with thunderous bass sections and even a nauseating mid-section that would not be out of sorts on a Frontierer album, this song is almost like opening a coke bottle after being shaken for days. It explodes and fizzes into your ears which, considering the band has been in lockdown for so long, is quite understandable.

These five tracks are undeniably full of energy and passion. Soaring vocal passages point towards latter-day Mastodon before giving way to chugging riffs, most notably on ‘Surging Ablaze’, a quite frankly near-perfect five-minute song. Closing track ‘Watchful Eye’ includes some stunning post-metal work in a similar vein to Cult of Luna, a slow builder that bursts into a ferocious battery of double bass, harsh vocals and majestic guitar leads.

Comparisons to Gojira and the aforementioned Mastodon notwithstanding, Irist stand on their own as one of the most exciting bands in the scene, exhibiting all the original thought and character of a genuine breath of fresh air for our world. Now they can get back on the road, this should put them right back in the position they should have been when ‘Order Of The Mind’ dropped.

9/10