Song of the Day: The Osedax, “The Fire Thief,” from Titans Lament (Replenish Records, 2015)

The sophomore full-length from Leesburg, VA's The Osedax, Titans Lament is a grandiose affair that consists primarily of high-level doom in the form of lengthy 10- to 15-minute compositions utilizing varying degrees of ominously droning ambient atmosphere. Which is precisely why its fourth track, "The Fire Thief," shocked the shit out of me by immediately exploding forth with chaotic bursts of tremolo picking and hectically aggressive drumming—full-on black metal, more or less.

Sure, it eventually evolves into a style more akin to the carefully paced rise and fall dynamics that make up the rest of the album, but, whew... what a shock to the system those opening minutes present within the context of the whole. Awesome.

The Osedax continues to skate by somewhat under the radar, but for superfans of this niche of metal, you'd be hard-pressed to find it done better—right down to the production and presentation. Check 'em out. Titans Lament is available as a double-LP or name your price download from either the band or the label.