01. The Supreme Note Of Suffering
02. Endless Waves Of Obliteration
03. A Shattered Orb Signals The Erasure Of Parallel Timelines
04. Gentleman's Bookshelf
05. The Abomination Renders The Poor Man Speechless
06. The Daneri House

Ponder not over which cosmic womb the title is referring to exactly, nor the oddly cute expression on the interdimensional monstrosity adorning that lush Adam Burke-esque album cover. Instead, make haste and check out this awesome prog/sludge sophomore release.

Chicago’s Farseer (USA) introduced themselves in 2019 with a neat self-titled album that straddled the boundaries between psychedelic stoner metal and harsher sludge, the vibrant artwork and classic stoner-esque logo countered by some mean growled/rasped harsh vocals. In the intervening half-decade, things have taken a slightly darker and more mature direction, with ominous sci-fi artwork and a more understated logo, but the band have also taken their music in a more prog-influenced direction, and the results are a notable improvement upon a very respectable first release.

When thinking of bands to compare to, I found myself looking at Barishi, both because both groups make use of similarly bilious and reverb-laden harsh vocals, and also because they approach prog from a sludgy direction, but overall Portals To Cosmic Womb shies away from true extremity, eschewing blast beats or overarching dissonance. Other groups that I found myself thinking of included the likes of Anciients and Druids, while the more melodic and psychedelic parts exhibit hints of more melancholic stoner(-adjacent) groups like Spaceslug. Overall, however, Farseer’s new record doesn’t naturally resemble any one band or style.

The music predominantly uses a riffing style that feels most naturally attributed to sludge, albeit without the venom of many bands in that genre. The riffs more so take the heft and groove of certain prominent sludgy acts, and combine that meatiness with the aforementioned rasped vocals, but also a really alluring amount of melancholic melody courtesy of liberal implementation of guitar leads and solos. The opening track begins in quite expansive, atmospheric fashion, gradually building to distortion; when the first heavy riff comes in, the delivery is somewhat languid, but a sudden cut-out of the rest of the band is the cue for Farseer to introduce a strong mid-tempo riff with an element of swagger to it. “The Supreme Note Of Suffering” then largely rides this riff for the remainder of the track, with only subtle changes or variations, but the incorporation of guitar lead melodies, expansive solos and minor yet intentful changes in pace keep the song fresh and evolving.

While this track does a good job of introducing the band’s modus operandi, “Endless Waves Of Obliteration” is when the album’s quality really comes to the fore. A more up-tempo and biting initial approach (the guitars and reverbing vocals are accentuated synergistically by a production that offers a fitting roughness to the edges while still allowing the cleaner elements to shine) transitions into a juicy chugging groove a couple of minutes in, which is lit up by an understated yet impactful solo. Soon after this, the band start to show off their wider range, first with swirling Eastern-influenced lead guitar atop a thick, pounding riff base, and then by largely fading out the distortion and allowing the bass to lay the foundation for a lush extended psychedelic rock solo.

This sequence sets a melodic precedent that Portals To Cosmic Womb repeatedly explores afterwards. “A Shattered Orb Signals The Erasure Of Parallel Timelines” (some very verbose song titles here) is again initially quite driving and hench, but almost from the off weaves an emotionality into the guitar tone that sets a platform for subsequent implementation of melodic ‘chorus’ guitar lines, soundscaping and tender-toned riffs. One could argue whether passages such as the melancholic climax of this track sound have been a good opportunity to utilize some clean vocals instead of the single harsh vocal style employed throughout, but I personally never find it distracting.

There are further treats to be encountered in the remaining songs on the tracklist, particularly the stomping chugging and contrasting atmospheric layers/melodies within “Gentleman’s Bookshelf”, but closing song “The Daneri House” is arguably the pick of the bunch on this album. It is the most melodic and melancholic of the tracks here, with some extended clean guitar riffs and lush leads/solos, but also its middle stages show the band at their most progressive, exploring complex time signatures and rhythms with a driving chugging riff as its foundation. This section undergoes a compelling escalation, before surprisingly yet naturally transitioning into a wondrous final minute, a showpiece for beautiful Floydian soloing with a Spaceslug-esque melancholic tone.

Farseer’s debut was very respectable for its style, but the leap forward here has really taken the band to a whole new level, and in doing so they’ve released one of the strongest albums of 2025. Portals To Cosmic Womb accomplishes that ideal outcome of bringing together a lot of elements within metal that I really enjoy, without too heavily conforming to any one particular niche.