American Gothic (Profound Lore) opens with a great deal of fanfare – a Western-tinged throb of guitar before you are reminded Wayfarer are a Black Metal band: snarled vocals control the mic, the drummer leans into a deliberate double-bass attack rather than joining the blast-beaten status quo…  the band displaying a dynamic progression as songwriters on their fifth album as they continue to get even better with each release.

“Reaper on the Oil Fields” finds the sung vocals lurking behind a distorted filter mixed behind the clang of guitars. In some ways, this album is darker than previous releases as the yarns of the Wild West allow the mood to simmer.  “To Enter My House Justified” carries the haunted Western sound, but is coupled with the epic power of a band like Immortal, despite the lack of frost giants and ice dragons. “A High Plains Eulogy” moves in a more melodic direction as sung vocals are the focal point; the riff creeps into shadowy places.  

“Black Plumes Over God’s Country” is more straightforward, with a deliberate-paced chug, with clean guitars where the chorus would be. Wayfarer take the road less traveled in this regard by allowing the tempo to ebb and flow less predictably with the double bass controlling this tempo. A cool guitar solo adds to the mood rather than dazzling with shredding.

I had suspected Wayfarer would follow the trajectory of 2020’s A Romance With Violence by crossing the line into dark country and only dabbling in black metal, but this is not the case. The under-reliance on blastbeats is not the only way they defy black metal tropes, on “The Cattle Thief” they show a willingness to forge their path lyrically, avoiding the typical hymns of darkness and opting for tales of grim Americana. The last song “Final Constellation” also finds sung vocals taking the spotlight. The song is possessed by the ghosts of the Wild West, though the guitars also ring out with a hypnotic shoe gaze-like pulse. This culminates into an incredibly original sound.  

This unexpected return to a more straightforward metal album colored by the Western influence comes together in a beautifully dark manner and shows how Wayfarer have matured. The key to their creative success here is balance. They understand that pummeling your ears does not allow the songs to breathe and melody to flourish. Sure it’s a sound many black metal bands default to over the years, but these guys write with an intent to become more effective songwriters than their peers.  

Not only is American Gothic one of the best black metal albums of 2023,  but finds the band taking their place alongside the top-tier American black metal bands. 

Buy the album here:

https://wayfarer.lnk.to/AmericanGothicID

9 / 10

WIL CIFER