Guitarist D. Richards comments on the track: “‘Meeting on the Astral Plane’ tells the story of one man’s escape from physical reality to a place of infinite possibilities; an existence free of mortal boundaries. The escape, however, is only temporary and he must return to his lowly existence and face himself, which he does in the following track ‘Great Abomination’. His experience on the astral plane leads him to believe that death may be the ultimate escape. As our protagonist’s experience progresses so does the music. From the triumphant march of the opening riff to the crushing doom encased ending.”
VOW OF THORNS have been conceptualizing albums and pushing the boundary between aggressive and emotional. What once served as an anagram for Kevin Hawthorne’s solo work is now a joint effort with Dustin Richards, where the duo has quickly become one of the most intimidating musical ventures to date. The duo have been constructing songs unanimously and without interruption in a seamless writing process to craft work fueled by their musical and environmental influences. Constantly shifting between disparaging black metal vocals and triumphant guitar hooks dripping with doom-encrusted bass riffs and theatrical drums. The band pairs the forces of black metal and doom, blending the two styles with ease while maintaining a certain sense of tension and uncertainty in the air.