Urzah - A Tranquil Void - Metal Epidemic

Urzah – A Tranquil Void
Release Date: 5th June 2026
Label: APF Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Sludge, Doom, Post-Metal, Post-Hardcore.
FFO: Elder, DVNE, Russian Circles, Neurosis, Mastodon, Herod.
Review By: Mark Young

Well, APF know a thing or two about delivering the best that these shores has to offer within all things extreme. Urzah, who I previously had the very good fortune to review on their debut full-length The Scorching Gaze return with one of the most outstanding releases for 2026. Everything that you loved about that album is here, but it’s simply better. I know that is quite a bland way of putting it, but it’s the truth.

At the Mouth of the Cave is the starters pistol, melody and brutality entwined with a guitar tone that could split stone, it’s a statement of intent from them that they haven’t stood still. Vocals are still harsh, and rhythms completely on point. Mastodon early phase is echoed with The Call Beneath but given a super-heavy spin. They can do the heavy with ease; the real gold is in the jiggly guitar lines that they spin within which is a repeating motif for the entire album. Some of these are plain fiendish, and from a guitarist perspective they would be ace to play.

But let’s not forget the core requirements which is solid slabs of riffola. This is evident at every turn, and I’d like to bring Infernal Star I and II to your attention as exhibit A and B of this. The former is this high octane blast that would be excellent to play. Its build is demanding and exciting in the way it unfolds. Its one of my songs of the year without a doubt and if there is a tab for this, I’ll snatch your hands off. II comes in with more magic, that first 22 seconds of wizardry replaced by an immediate arrangement that drags you along by the collar. It moves at such a rate, changing its build numerous times but never retreading the same ideas. I defy anyone to listen to this pair and not be impressed by them. You know when a band are doing something right when the hairs stand up on your arms, that’s what I got from these two songs.

And then they pull the emergency brake with Bark & Branches. I have nothing against this song, or the fact it pulls back with a restrained sound. Its just that it drops out of nowhere and arrests the moment. It’s the only track on here that I can do without and places the question in my mind; Can the album recover? In the Mouth of the Wolf knocks on the door and comes raging in as if it knows it has a point to prove. If anything, it attacks with a renewed sense of purpose and represents another high class piece of music from them. Hunter in the Veil slows that pace a little but keeps that energy in place. One thing that stays consistent from Wolf to Hunter is the sheer number of ‘guitar’ moments in each song. I’m not talking lead breaks, just mesmeric touches that nestle within each one. There is so much happening you need repeated listens because you won’t have picked everything up on the first play through.

Entwined Twisted Roots of Chaos provides the epic closure that an album like this should have. Its hefty, without feeling overweight. The extended run time gives it (and them) room to breathe, and the results are stunning. It’s the kind of track where those involved should be rightly proud, an endeavour that takes everything before it and ensures that they don’t fall at that last hurdle. With A Tranquil Void, Urzah have dropped one of my albums of 2026. I understand that the score I give below isn’t maximum marks, but in all honesty I’m not sure if the marks are that important. Its get a 4 because I just can’t get on with Bark & Branches, but that doesn’t mean that the album as a whole doesn’t deserve the praise I am giving it because it’s a fucking belter. If you have ears, then you will be able to understand why I love this record.