Blood Incantation - All Gates Open

It's been a little while since progressive death metallers Blood Incantation released new music, having toured extensively on the back of their critically acclaimed Absolute Elsewhere. I was initially surprised to hear they had something coming down the pipe already, until it became clear that All Gates Open was another one of their side-quests into strictly synth side quests, á la Timewave Zero.

This time, the soundtrack was to a 73-minute documentary on the 3-year writing and recording process that resulted in Absolute Elsewhere. I would typically find a project like this to be self-indulgent, but the scope of that record — and accompanying short film — is quite vast, and something I genuinely would like to know more about the inspiration behind.

A for the soundtrack, it fits in perfectly with the aforementioned Timewave Zero. It took me a while to digest that album — and get over the fact I would have to wait even longer for a follow-up to 2019's Hidden History of the Human Race — but I've come to appreciate the band's knack for crafting interesting, textural soundscapes.

As someone who likes drone and 14-hour ambient synth records, this album slots right in with my tastes. There isn't a lot 'going on' in these tracks, but they're subtle and really well mixed — ideally understated for a soundtrack. If Timewave Zero pissed you off, you'll want to skip this one.

As much as I prefer Blood Incantation when they're writing metal songs foremost, their versatility is really impressive. Given that Ulver has been one of my favourite bands for over 20 years, I'm always willing to entertain a sudden and severe shift in genre, but they are still a risky proposition.

I've thoroughly enjoyed watching this band follow their muse wherever it takes them and I will always have time for anything they see fit to release.

PUBLISHED: 2026-06-09