01. Path I
02. I Embark
03. Atonement
04. Desolate
05. O Wanderer
06. Path II
07. Possessed
08. Rebuilder
09. Path III
10. The Tower
11. The Vessel
12. Path IV
13. Beware the Wolves

I feel quite lucky to have had my finger on the pulse of the New England metal scene over the last couple of decades. That is how I discovered this severely overlooked band from Boston, Lord Almighty. Bands from all over the world draw upon the spirit of their surrounding cultures and geography. Depending on the sort of flavor of principles they're going for, they lean into either the antagonist or proponent of a variety of anthropological topics, spanning from certain political leanings to fully embracing being a denizen of the bogs of Massachusetts.

The first time I saw this band in concert, they looked like they had just emerged from the swamp in the Bridgewater triangle, which itself carries a slew of mythos that speaks of nocturnal monsters and spirits from other realms. With their debut album, Paths, the band feels like they drink from those murky waters to harness some sort of power that relayed both the culture and musical taste of the Boston black metal scene circa 2015. Bands like Obsidian Tongue, Autolatry, In Human Form, and Infera Bruo had captivated the Northeast USA with their intense, unique takes on the subgenre, often experimenting with outlying styles like jazz or psychedelic rock. (Shout out to the fantastic split featuring those bands: Northeastern Hymns).

Lord Almighty leans into more familiar territory, with obvious nods to blackened thrash and heavy metal, all while remaining progressive with sludgy undertones, a la Mastodon. The drums are always forward, guiding the whole album through its wanderings. The fifty-minute record feels cohesive, with each song navigating directly into the next. It makes for a very easy listen, because Lord Almighty knows one thing: how to write good riffs and structure them appropriately. The motifs aren't in your face, but feel like hanging lanterns along the way as the band shifts tempos and time signatures.

Now, to remain objective without too much bias, the record takes a hit in the production department. The guitar tone carries through well, but there are deficiencies with the drum and vocal production that may leave some listeners put off. And not every interjection in the music is enjoyable, such as the slapdash guitar harmony battle about 3/4 of the way through the song "Moments". Thankfully, these chaotic dashes almost always hit throughout this album. The song writing is so good that the overall expression of the record from front to back excuses these haphazard moments. When the song "Possessed" kicks in, that second wind will scoop you back up, particularly as it moves into the follow-up song, "Rebuilder", a track that feels like it is putting the pieces together for you.

The band carefully balances pushes and pulls, repeating motifs but always delivering those rejuvenating moments of resolution. Riffs return slower. Melodies catch up with one another. It's a masterful take on good songwriting without losing a potent sense of aggression. Hatred against the material world? Against the urban jungle that is the Boston metropolitan area? Once I find the lyric booklet, we can determine that together. Until then, get on the Paths if you've never trodden this ground before. All in all, an overlooked debut from this time, standing as one of the gems in our devoted underground community.

Performance:	9
Songwriting:	8
Originality:	7
Production:	6