With their latest album, Pelican present us with an astonishing collection of seven vocal-less tracks of epic proportions that are as powerful as they’re beautiful. Melding melancholic Post-Rock in the vein of Godspeed You! Black Emperor (without symphonic nor horn arrangements) with Metallic walls of sound reminiscent of atmospheric Sludge such as Isis and some more solid Metal guitar work like galloping Thrash-like riffs, tremolo picked guitar work and a lot more.

The music of Pelican is highly dynamic as it works around Crescendos most of the time (similar to what the previously mentioned Godspeed You! Black Emperor does), with songs starting slow and smoothly with some ambient elements (sometimes reminiscent of Brian Eno!) and building up gradually into powerful monoliths of sound that will leave you in awe.

The musicians definitely know what they’re doing as complex structure work is constantly present and elegant guitar arrangements are thrown regularly making the music even more elaborated; and yet, it is done without any pretentiousness, thing that seems to happen very frequently with any band that has a certain “avant-garde” tendency. Also, the music has a very improvisational feeling to it and I love it; it’s as if the guys were jamming and just playing what feels right to them at the moment and letting the music flow through their minds and into the listener captivating them and throwing them into a trance like state. An incredible feeling few bands are able of capturing.

Another thing that I love about the album is the production, which sounds very organic and to a certain extent raw (here’s where my passion for Black Metal is revealed haha), and yet it manages to have a very warm feeling (you just have to love how the acoustic guitars sound in the album).

The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw is an amazing album no one should miss and definitely one of the highlights of the year. All hail the mighty Pelican!