It’s not often you hear death growls juxtaposed next to smooth saxophone lines, but Swedish avant-garde/progressive death metal outfit Gold Spire navigate this musical territory quite nimbly on their second full-length, Steps Into Shadow. This quintet—Arvid Sjödin (vocals), Erik Sundström (drums/keyboards/backing vocals), Påhl Sundström (guitars), Magnus Kjellstrand (saxophone/flute), Petter Broman (bass)—are impossible to pigeonhole musically but they manage to range from jazzy to brutal on tracks that frequently have a cinematic feel, often evoking post-metal soundscapes. Whatever you want to call it, it’s unique and well crafted.

Steps Into Shadow was recorded by Erik Sundström in Studio Siborator from 2023 to 2026. It was mixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory. It’s set for release on CD and digitally via Awakening Records on June 19. Place your preorder here.

The band offered this insight into Steps Into Shadow:

“Steps into Shadow is dedicated to the Swedish working class and to the struggle for emancipation in times of eroding democracy and the resurgence of fascism. The album reflects on the societal and personal decay inflicted on the downtrodden as the ruling class tries to make unity and solidarity an impossible option. It also has personal sentiments embedded, exploring our complicated love for our childhood hometown in northern Sweden.”

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