Ov Sulfur is on its way.
After signing their first album with Century Media Records, the American band led by Ricky Hoover (vocals, ex-Suffokate), Chase Wilson (guitar/backing vocals), Leviathvn (drums, ex-Dawn of Ashes), Josh Bearden (bass), and Christian Becker (guitar, Bulwargà) kicks off 2026 with Endless, their second album.
The album opens with Endless//Godless, an introductory track that is already quite massive, with vocals and thick, detuned riffs coming together for a simple but effective first dance, followed by the real onslaught that begins with Seed, where you can feel the aggression literally igniting, supported by the orchestrations. A few touches of clean vocals make the choruses intense, but the instrumental remains as violent as ever, with blasts and frenzied riffs taking turns to break our necks and lead us into anguish in the opening moments of Forlorn. The track is obviously followed by various screams, each as possessed as the next, inhabiting a jerky and heavy rhythm, but the band once again adds this vocal contrast accompanied by piercing leads before the sound becomes more oppressive again on Vast Eternal, the next composition, where we struggle to cling to a few dissonant harmonics so as not to end up buried under the musicians’ destructive flood. The murderous mosh pit will leave no survivors live, but the track is long and tramples us continuously before Wither grants us a moment of respite with its slightly too sweet introductory sample, complemented by the very groovy bass/drum duo and clear vocals that nevertheless herald the return of rage. The song initially sounds like a ballad, but we feel the riffs getting a little stronger, welcoming a polished solo before this strange final, but the band blows us away again with Evermore, the next track, which returns to the most aggressive elements without neglecting the keyboards and other orchestrations. The monstrous breaks will inspire others, especially in comparison to the choruses, then the band moves on to Dread, where they welcome their first guest, Josh Davies from Ingested, who reinforces the vocal firepower, but we note that the song attempts a feint towards its center before picking up again with renewed vigor. Johnny Ciardullo (Carcosa) joins in for Bleak, lending his beastly screams to those of the vocalist between two more majestic passages, offering real waves before letting us catch our breath as we arrive at A World Away. This time, accompanied by Alan Grnja (Distant), the musicians distill their violence, returning to clean vocals to accompany the most striking melodies, but the track passes a little too quickly for my taste, finally reaching Endless// Loveless, where the Metalcore/Alternative Metal roots resurface and allow the band to close their album gently, favoring melancholic riffs and clean vocals, with a little burst of energy for the solo and a vocalist who ventures into the highest registers.
As usual, Ov Sulfur delivers insane firepower on its most aggressive riffs, but the band doesn’t hesitate to venture into more majestic tones with Endless, and above all to incorporate even more clean vocals to accentuate the contrast. Evolution is underway.
85/100