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Every bit of elation, transcendence, and power of heavy music radiates with blinding force from the second album by this self-proclaimed "ecstatic black metal" ensemble based in Los Angeles.

The Spiritual Sound pairs immense heaviness with imaginative detailing. Lead single the song Bodhidharma propels along a riff suited to a biker gang, before a burst of static and shrieking heralds a melancholic post-rock middle eight. The maligned art of the widdly-woo solo is brilliantly revived by axeman the lead guitarist, whose soloing on this track and on highlight the song Flea will have you levitating with joy – yet the gentle song the track Hallelujah showcases descending guitar melodies played with youthful innocence.

Songs such as Micah and the song Serenity are fast-paced punk rock, but the piece Dan’s Love Song is without percussion and has slow-moving Sunn O)))-style fuzz rumbling along underneath its ethereal beauty. Black metal melodies can often be absent or overly fussy, yet the band's guitar lines and choruses are bright and original, and closer The Reply even recalls a more intense Radiohead.

Fans of post-metallers similar artists will likely adore all this contrasting dynamics and unabashedly gorgeous noise, especially because the group also have two divergent singing approaches, split here across two singers. Dan Meyer contributes occasional soulful, clean singing, but the star is Leah Levinson, her voice quivers on one track but fiercely howling on other songs.

In typical black metal fashion, it’s hard to discern the words she sings, yet they are worth seeking out: the stories she sings about personal struggles and anti-LGBTQ bigotry are heart-wrenching, just like her search for meaning in a reality that inexorably bends towards violence.