Optimism returns to Golgotha.
Two years after its rebirth, the project led by Vicente J. Paya (guitar, Bisonte, Unbounded Terror, Yskelgroth), completed by Tomeu Crespi (drums, Hyde XXI), Andrew Spinosa (bass/saturated vocals, Unbounded Terror, In War), María J. Lladó (clean vocals, Bisonte) and recently Dan Garcia (guitar, Sons of Cult) unveil Spreading the Wings of Hope, their sixth album.
For Every Tear immediately captivates us with its gentle yet relatively dark atmosphere, featuring two voices and a haunting heady saturation that naturally drapes the melancholic march. Initially quite calm, the rhythm section doesn’t hesitate to ignite thanks to a massive double kick and a much livelier approach, but soon returns to its majestic tones, as does Gilded Cage, which is adorned with a soothing dissonance to seduce us. Clean vocals navigate between welcoming and playful elements, while the howls collide with more jerky parts to accentuate their abrasive dimension, but A Solitary Soul will manage to create a balance between the two and link them in its tortured tones while letting the two vocalists take turns to better captivate us. Keyboards complete the heavy sound, until Hear Their Cries takes over, reinforcing its assumed duality and offering aggression and melodies at just the right moment, sometimes mixing the ambiences only to separate them even further. The slowness of Human Vultures crushes us again, despite the spasmodic touches that complete the heavier passages, but it’s mainly the singer who leads the way on this track, which is followed by the luminous Closed Heart, where the growl lends extra weight to the underlying violence that occasionally resurfaces. Spreading The Wings Of Hope follows without delay, revealing its oppression barely calmed by the ominous clear vocals at first, but the airy guitars end up softening the mix, which returns to burrow in majestic nostalgia with Hope As Guide, the final track, where the balance between the different elements is once again perfect, leading us to silence after a final chorus.
Despite their trials and tribulations, Golgotha have risen from the ashes and renewed themselves, now offering an effective recipe that is proving its worth. Spreading the Wings of Hope proudly sits at the top of the band’s discography.
90/100