SPIRIT ADRIFT
20 Centuries Gone (Liliac Vinyl)

Spirit Adrift refuses to slow down. With Enlightened In Eternity, Nathan Garrett, alongside drummer Marcus Bryant, has created yet another monument to the timelessness of heavy metal. And while this album builds on the sizable foundation established by previous releases, it also sets itself apart in formidable new ways, widening the scope of what Spirit Adrift can be. What this band has mastered, and where others have failed, is the ability to invoke the power of metal’s past, whether it be the ’70s, ’80s or even the ’90s, as one hears here, without ever feeling throwback or “retro”. Spirit Adrift urgently represent the sonic and emotional zeitgeist of 2020. Enlightened In Eternity carries the same enormous magnitude of the most significant metal records of every era, but Garrett has carved out his own place among the greatest of songwriters, by crafting uniquely classic and instantly recognizable songs. Vocally, Garrett again showcases an obvious evolution of his already high-level ability with more soaring soul and snarling venom injected into his classic metal form. The gorgeous guitar leads, melodies, harmonies and unforgettably heavy riffs benefit from a huge, timeless production quality. Bryant has elevated his drumming to new levels of intensity and tasteful subtlety. And as always, the tracks remain imprinted on the mind long after the album has finished. Whether it’s the ever-expanding catalog of incredible albums and songs or the searing live performances, the dominance of Spirit Adrift upon the current heavy metal landscape is now undeniable. And while Enlightened In Eternity already marks the band’s fourth album, Spirit Adrift have only just begun..

Standard CD Jewelcase 

The journey of Spirit Adrift has come full circle. With their sixth album in a decade, mastermind Nathan Garrett is ready to unleash the band’s final chapter. Infinite Illumination, the Spirit Adrift swansong, is a return to the wellspring that first inspired it all and testament to a band that in the last ten years has crafted an impeccable signature thoroughly their own, molded from the elemental matter of more than a half century of heavy metal exaltation.

Infinite Illumination has a directness to it, a sense of urgency and raw intensity. The songs feel inevitable, like they had to be driven out from deep within during a time of great upheaval. The fatalistic “Born in a Bad Way” summons a vengeful “broken relic from another age” that must “live again and make them pay” via Garrett’s swaggering snarl, while “White Death” impugns “God shined on a chosen few, we must kill the rest of you”. These songs have a palpable sense of malaise both spiritual and terrestrial, personal and universal, inflicted via crushing traditional doom riffs, thunderous mid-tempo marches and Garrett’s impassioned vocal delivery.

The journey of Spirit Adrift has come full circle. With their sixth album in a decade, mastermind Nathan Garrett is ready to unleash the band’s final chapter. Infinite Illumination, the Spirit Adrift swansong, is a return to the wellspring that first inspired it all and testament to a band that in the last ten years has crafted an impeccable signature thoroughly their own, molded from the elemental matter of more than a half century of heavy metal exaltation.

Infinite Illumination has a directness to it, a sense of urgency and raw intensity. The songs feel inevitable, like they had to be driven out from deep within during a time of great upheaval. The fatalistic “Born in a Bad Way” summons a vengeful “broken relic from another age” that must “live again and make them pay” via Garrett’s swaggering snarl, while “White Death” impugns “God shined on a chosen few, we must kill the rest of you”. These songs have a palpable sense of malaise both spiritual and terrestrial, personal and universal, inflicted via crushing traditional doom riffs, thunderous mid-tempo marches and Garrett’s impassioned vocal delivery.