Release Date: August 07th 2026. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Esox Lucifer - Tracklist
1.Beasts Of The Northern Wild
2.Pursuit Special
3.Fleur de Sledgehammer
4.Church Of The Red Museum
5.Alien Tactics
6.Two Million Stones
7.Paranoidium
8.Esox Lucifer
Lineup
Alex Risberg - Bass/Vocals
Erik Palm - Guitars
Alvin Risberg - Drums
Review
Esox Lucifer is the fourth full length album from Doom/Stoner Metallers 10,000 Years where the band have partially swapped the Cosmic surroundings of Space for a grounded and cerebral approach for this record. The heavy Spaced Out themes are still there but 10,000 Years have opted for an intense melodic style of Sludge/Stoner Metal more accustomed to the likes of The Sword, KYLESA, BEASTWARS and Torche. They still pack the almighty aggression of their musical heroes HIGH ON FIRE but it’s good to see 10,000 Years adapt their musical style to a more modern sound which you can hear through the likes of Beasts Of The Northern Wild, Pursuit Special and Fleur de Sledgehammer.
The sludgy surroundings opens the music to violent blasts of Thrash Metal along the way with a highly energetic style of Post-Doom, Ambient Rock and Post-Rock which perhaps makes this the band’s most mature record to date especially musically speaking. The vocals and lyrics have a more reflective energy to them when compared to their previous records. Esox Lucifer throws a few curveballs along the way with 10,000 Years moving into Shoegaze territory which allows lead vocalist Alex Risberg to deliver some startling and emotionally charged vocals along the way.
This record still features the same intense and action packed sounds the band made their names with but this record allows 10,000 Years to constantly evolve onto greater musical heights especially when the Psychedelic and Cosmic passages appear that holds everything together. The soulful Ambient themes become more gloomier on tracks such as Church Of The Red Museum, Alien Tactics and Esox Lucifer. There seems to be an unwavering intent of Progressive Metal energy that becomes more part of the action of the later stages of the record.
The production values are superbly realized with a sound that’s both crisp and quietly distorted which allows the band to explore different musical sounds they haven’t experienced before. This is still a band who revel in creating Sludge/Stoner Metal mayhem but why not add some standout Psychedelic and Post-Stoner grooves along the way which 10,000 Years pull off with great style and full commitment from start to finish.
Esox Lucifer is perhaps the next musical and creative evolution from 10,000 Years which should hopefully catapult them onto bigger and greater things from the confinements of the heavy underground scene. They have the songs, talent and creative vision to move onto the next level of their musical careers and this record is a testament to that fact. This is an outstanding record on every singular level.
10,000 Years have delivered another album of the year contender in their already impressive discography. If this is your first time to their highly destructive world then be prepared for a true masterclass of modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal.
Words by Steve Howe
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