Y’all, I wasn’t prepared for this one. I’ve done a decent amount of these premiere articles, and they are almost always at least good, if not great acts. It is very rare, however, that I check out the new thing and immediately want to keep the song or album on repeat. So, today marks a first for me, because I have listened to this album three times today. Usually, if I like an album enough to run it back immediately after my first listen, it is an AOTY contender. While this album is firmly of that pedigree, a key factor in the repeat listens is the wildness of this album. I will explain more, but you should probably start listening for yourself. I am proud to present the full album stream of the self-titled debut from Encasement!
Encasement starts off with some dramatic vocal chants that sound slightly clerical and positively haunting. This is a brief feint as the tell tale quick beats and high pitched black metal vocal wail welcome in the guitars and blast beats. This is a black metal record, yes, but it is one of the stranger approaches to the sound I have ever heard. The drums and guitars on “Exodus” sound uncomfortable in all the right ways. The rhythms seem at risk of uncoupling from their breakneck speeds and unusual time-signatures. There are smoother moments throughout the track that harken back to more traditional sounding black or death metal, but the guitars are forever threatening to take control and veer the whole thing into a mountainside. Encasement masterfully weaves progressive and technical playing with shades of death metal into a weird sweater of black metal, at once comfortable and uncomfortable, Schrödinger’s spiked battle vest cozy.
“Apparitions” continues this frenzy while introducing different vocal textures and a martial, marching pace. By the first time I was through with this ten-minute opus, I was ready to learn more about these guys, but fuck me if it isn’t just one guy. Encasement is the project of James Thompson from Toronto, a guy capable of making himself sound like six or seven guys at once. The drumming, the angular and dissonant guitar work, the creeping bass, the haunting synths, and the ferocious chorus of vocals are top-tier, especially in the one-man black metal band category. The opening minute of “The Pillory” threatens to go mathcore for a moment before the track takes a twisted turn into a cavern of death metal. Encasement crafts movements around mind-warping guitar work and familiar extreme metal tropes which, along with the morbid minor keys, creates a sensation of unease and unresolved tensions. Besides the brief intro track, every song feels like a precisely orchestrated exercise of intensity. I love it.
Encasement will be released on Friday, September 4th via I, Voidhanger Records and Hypæthral Records. This project continues to highlight the wealth of talent coming out of Canada lately. Hell, James Thompson even did the artwork for this album. The man is clearly a blackened auteur, and this is one of the best black metal albums of 2026. You can pre-order the album here (CD, Digital) or here (vinyl). Follow Encasement on Instagram for more updates, and be sure to give Encasement a spin on Friday!
