SCOUR – Gold

RELEASE YEAR: 2025
BAND URL: https://scourofficial.bandcamp.com/album/gold

Following a string of impressive EPs titled Grey, Red, and Black respectively, the immensely talented quintet known as Scour recently graced us with a proper full-length assault on the senses intriguingly titled Gold. It is a rather fitting name for this LP in that there are plenty of meaty bits and evocative passages to whet your appetite and suck you into its vortex of madness with everything that that entails. Intense and aggressive are certainly terms that apply to this 13-track output, but more importantly, there is a depth and a sense of dynamics to the song material that cement Scour’s position as one of the best extreme metal acts in today’s scene.

In many ways, the band’s latest slab of pitch-black darkness leans more towards (post) black metal to these ears than the previous offerings by the group did, and it carries a grim and unearthly vibe that recalls some of the more noteworthy releases to have originated within the French orthodox black metal milieu such as Kénôse by Deathspell Omega and Blood Libels by Antaeus. Not that Gold resembles those two gems from a purely musical perspective as such, but a similar underlying sense of impending cosmic death and relentless existential anguish courses through compositions such as the surprisingly catchy and melodic “Coin,” the ominous ambient suite named “Ornaments,” and the raging “Evil.” And then there is the epic “Devil,” which may well be their most rewarding and cleverly written tune to date. Apart from being frontloaded with muscular riffs and interesting arrangements that offer a nice twist, the biggest draw here is undoubtedly Philip’s incredibly varied and charismatic vocals in that they are utilized like an instrument. Sharp as a razor and as lethal as a weapon, the man’s imitable voice covers the whole spectrum of emotions – something that Gold benefits tremendously from. Another thing that needs to be mentioned is how captivating the lyrics are; there is nothing cliched or run-of-the-mill about them and they show a degree of creativity and originality that is commendable.   

The death metal influences appear a little more subtle this time around, and the overall atmosphere of the album feels a little bleaker and more claustrophobic compared to previous releases, so even though this is undoubtedly the work of Scour, it harbors a freshness and also a vigor that set it apart from its predecessors. This is a gratifying listen and a darkly majestic piece of work that quivers with unease,. When at their best, Scour sound like anything but reality, which makes this a mandatory listen for fans of blackened metal. Harsh and unpleasant – just the way this scribe likes it.