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Every bit of elation, spiritual ascent, and power of heavy music radiates with overwhelming force from the second album by this self-proclaimed "ecstatic black metal" ensemble hailing from Los Angeles.

The Spiritual Sound combines immense heaviness with imaginative detailing. Key track the song Bodhidharma propels along a guitar motif fit for a motorcycle crew, before a blast of noise and shrieking heralds a melancholic post-rock middle eight. The often-criticized technique of the virtuosic guitar solo is brilliantly revived by guitarist Richard Chowenhill, whose soloing on this track and on highlight Flea will have you levitating with joy – yet the calm ballad Hallelujah showcases falling guitar notes played with youthful innocence.

Songs such as Micah (5.15.am) and Serenity are high-speed hardcore punk, but the piece Dan’s Love Song is drum free and has slow-moving Sunn O)))-style fuzz rumbling underneath its ethereal beauty. Melodies in black metal can often be either nonexistent or overly fussy, yet Agriculture’s guitar lines and choruses are bright and original, and final track The Reply even recalls a more intense the band Radiohead.

Listeners who enjoy experimental metal acts Deafheaven will likely adore all this contrasting dynamics and fearlessly beautiful sound, especially because the group also feature two distinct singing approaches, split here across two vocalists. One vocalist contributes sporadic melodic vocals, yet the standout is the other vocalist, her voice trembling on one track but splenetically caterwauling elsewhere.

As is common in the genre, it's difficult to discern the words she sings, but they’re worth seeking out: the stories she sings about personal struggles and anti-LGBTQ bigotry are heart-wrenching, just like her search for purpose in a world that relentlessly trends towards conflict.