17. Fires In The Distance - "Air Not Meant For Us…"

I adore Metal with a sense of grandiosity. I want my music to be big and epic but also to be grounded enough to have an overarching sense of humanity. This is a stunning record that is large in scope and ambition but does not over-dazzle. It is full of spacious hooks and cascading waves of sound but it is self-aware enough to know when enough is enough. It doesn’t over faze and holds itself in check when it needs to. 

It understands that great songs are sculptured out of a combination of passion and precession. It is bombastic enough to be engaging but also nuanced enough to leave you wanting for more. Just an astonishingly sonically literate album that is a complete joy to listen to.