The debut album Ten (available on March 28th) by Paths to Deliverance is an introduction to the band’s unorthodox and deeply imaginative approach to black metal. Melding unrelenting aggression with haunting melodic passages, the album achieves a balance between chaos and eerie beauty by delivering a sound that feels simultaneously raw and intricately layered.
Drawing on influences from literary horror masters like Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, as well as the psychological musings of Carl Jung, Ten dives into themes of fear, mysticism, and existential dread. The real life horrors of modern times.
The conceptual foundation is brought to life through the band’s fearless experimentation with tempo, tonality, and atmosphere. Tracks like “Resonances” and “Reveries” shift effortlessly between furious blast beats, courtesy of Kevin Paradis (ex-Benighted), and hauntingly melancholic interludes that showcases the band’s range and versatility.
Paths to Deliverance’s refusal to conform to traditional black metal boundaries is one of their greatest strengths. The haunting melodies in “Solitude” and the visceral ferocity of “The Calm Before the Storm” illustrate their ability to juxtapose violence and introspection in a way that feels seamless and genuine. This duality mirrors the album’s thematic focus on the human psyche, plunging one into a harrowing yet cathartic sonic journey.
A.S.A.’s vision is amplified by the contributions of an accomplished ensemble of musicians, whose technical precision elevates the album’s intensity without sacrificing its emotional weight. The result is a record that feels as much like a descent into madness as a pathway toward redemption.
Ten is a masterful debut that challenges the black metal’s conventions while paying homage to its roots. Paths to Deliverance has arrived, and with this album, they carve out a unique and commanding space in the realm of avant-garde metal.
