DREADNOUGHT · Wars of Spirit // Wards of Light | SPLATTER LP

Gold/blue vinyl with red splatter in gatefold sleeve.

Background information about 'Wars of Spirit // Wards of Light'

Wars of Spirit // Wards of Light is the sound of a band finally trusting its own instincts. Dreadnought have always been hard to pin down, and that was always the point — a Colorado quartet that treats progressive metal, folk and pure atmosphere as one continuous language rather than separate dialects. Here they tighten the screws without shrinking the vision. Structures are leaner, riffs land sooner, and yet the record still sprawls like a night sky. Tracks like "Tiamat's Gate" and "The Archive" trade whispers for tidal surges, letting clean passages bloom before the distortion rolls in and swallows everything whole.

What makes this one stick is the emotional honesty underneath the technical chops. There's grief in these songs, and there's transcendence too, often in the same breath. "Colors Of Our Broken Hearts" earns its title, while "Aeonwar" and "The Twilight Protectorate" build toward something that feels genuinely cosmic — an inner war rendered at planetary scale. Mixed by Julius Mauranen (Oranssi Pazuzu) and mastered by Jaakko Viitalähde (Havukruunu), the album sounds enormous yet intimate, every cymbal and breath given room to breathe. Add Christian Ward's neon-drenched psychedelic artwork — the Eisner Award winner outdoes himself — and you have a package that demands slow, deliberate listening. It rewards patience the way few records this year do.

For fans of: Enslaved, Alcest, Agalloch, Oranssi Pazuzu, Wolves in the Throne Room

Other Versions

BLACK LP · 20,99 € DIGIPAK CD · 15,99 € BLUE/CRIMSON TRI-COLOR NEBULA LP · Sold out PUPRLE TAPE · 13,99 €

Track listing

A1. Tiamat's Gate
A2. The Archive
A3. Colors Of Our Broken Hearts
B1. Serpents Of The Moon
B2. Aeonwar
B3. The Twilight Protectorate

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