Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light
The Body · 2017
34 min · 8 tracks · doom metal
A dense and immersive blend of doom metal with haunting vocal melodies and experimental textures that evoke profound emotional landscapes.
Top tracks — play these first
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Earth Is a Cage — This track encapsulates the album's thematic exploration of confinement and despair through its crushing riffs and poignant lyricism that starkly contrasts heaviness with vulnerability.
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Didn’t the Night End — This song stands out with its ethereal atmosphere and haunting vocals, providing a moment of respite amidst the album's overall intensity while deepening its emotional narrative.
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I Did Not Want to Love You So — The closing track powerfully combines raw emotion and sonic experimentation, leaving listeners with a lingering sense of melancholy that encapsulates the journey of the album.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends heavy riffs with haunting melodies and dynamic shifts, creating a unique yet cohesive listening experience.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a slow, heavy riff that establishes a dense atmosphere, which is maintained throughout most of the tracks.
- Vocal melodies are layered over the instrumentation, often creating a haunting effect that contrasts with the heavy guitar work.
- Several tracks feature abrupt shifts in dynamics, moving from quiet, introspective moments to intense, chaotic sections.
- The final track concludes with an extended ambient outro that diverges from the preceding heaviness, providing a sense of closure.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- haunting melodies for deep reflection
- dense soundscapes for immersive listening
- emotional weight in every track
- short bursts of intense introspection
Maybe skip if you
- seeking upbeat or lighthearted vibes
- prefer straightforward song structures
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light marks The Body's fifth studio album, released in early 2017 amidst a prolific period for the duo. Following their critically acclaimed album No One Deserves Happiness, this record further explores their unique fusion of genres, solidifying their status as innovators within the heavy music scene.
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Master’s Story
The interaction between conflicting perspectives creates tension, as it shifts from personal introspection to broader societal commentary.
This shift not only enhances the complexity of the narrative but also elevates the emotional stakes by connecting personal struggles to larger existential themes.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Light Penetrates 3:35
- 2 Earth Is a Cage 3:14
- 3 The King Laid Bare 3:45
- 4 Didn’t the Night End 5:11
- 5 Our Love Conducted With Shields Aloft 4:48
- 6 Master’s Story 4:52
- 7 Farewell, Man 4:33
- 8 I Did Not Want to Love You So 4:32
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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