Better late than never, right? South Florida metal titans Ether Coven (formerly known as just Ether) released their third LP in January 2020, which after the legitimate hellscape this year makes this feel like I'm doing a write up of a record that came out 5 years ago. Regardless that's clearly not the case in reality, and even if it was, Everything Is Temporary Except Suffering is a record that deserves to be talked about, as it's a huge step forward for a band that was already at the forefront of forward thinking metal in the Florida swampland.
Opening with the 11 minute stunner "This House Is A Tomb Of Memories" the band maintains an absolute epic and titanic feeling throughout the albums almost hour duration, recalling epic metal masters of pain such as Crowbar and Type O Negative, but also seen through the lens of punk and hardcore, giving the songs an urgency and forward push that the more sorrowful mindset of the music would not initially suggest. This becomes most apparent when the opener bursts forth into the second, shorter track "Flower Crown", a straight up barnburner that feeds into the idea that while the band might be exploring incredibly somber musical content, they are far from done fighting to make their way towards the light. The album continues to move between these incredible lengthier set piece songs and the shorter blasts of fury between them, making for an album that's both incredibly dynamic while never losing sight of it's central sound/theme. I suppose I'd be remiss to not mention that members of Ether Coven have cut their teeth in several classic Florida hardcore bands (Remember Never and Until The End just to name a few) but that also feels like it might pull away from the fact that band has achieved something here that eclipses the need for ex member references as a hook. Also notable is the incredible production from Erik Rutan of Mana Studios, pushing the already insanely heavy material to new sonic heights and making sure every note of the album hits like a sledgehammer.
It's been an incredible year for heavy music releases, despite all of the bullshit the entire world has endured due to this pandemic, and it would be absolutely criminal for Ether Coven's incredible 2020 LP to get lost in the shuffle of such a chaotic year. It's one of those albums that dropped in January that I knew would belong in year end lists because it's just that fucking good. It shows a band realizing their full potential and moving ever forward, a record that will surely become more and more beloved as time passes and it's truely taken in by listeners. Essential listening for all lovers of heavy and forward thinking metal.
Purchase "Everything Is Temporary Except Suffering" via Century Media Records HERE
