Aussie band Hope Drone deal in the sort of atmospheric black metal that might appeal to fans of Wolves in the Throne Room or Alter of Plagues. Founded in 2011, this Brisbane band released the critically acclaimed eponymous EP Hope Drone in 2013.

Today marks the release of Hope Drone’s spectacular full-length debut album Cloak of Ash on Relapse Records. The album clocks in at 77 minutes of run time filled by only 7 sprawling tracks. The opener “Unending Grey” is a whopping 20 minutes and 4 seconds long, divesting the listener immediately of any notion that this is music for quick consumption. The album demands to be heard as a whole, dissected and absorbed over the course of multiple listenings.