Gold Spire – Steps Into Shadow
Release Date: 19th June 2026
Label: Awakening Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Darkjazz, Progressive Death Metal.
FFO: White Ward, Floating, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, Bohren & Der Club of Gore, Sweven, The Lovecraft Sextet, Speglas, Five the Hierophant, Kayo Dot.
Review By: Aeons Burning
Gold Spire are one of the most unique newer bands I’ve ever listened to. Their self-titled debut released to little fanfare back in 2021, but that’s because they’re extremely unknown, and I’m shocked that more people don’t listen to them. I admittedly didn’t listen to this when it first came out but after finally checking it out five years later I’m kicking myself, because darkjazz and death metal is a combo I never knew I needed until now. And no wonder I immediately started vibing with the debut – I love bands like White Ward, Five the Hierophant, and Bohren & Der Club of Gore happens to be my favorite non-metal project. Needless to say when I saw that Gold Spire were releasing a new album in the promo bin, I got my grubby hands on that as fast as I could, and Steps into Shadow might be a better record overall and is helping to set the case for June as one of the strongest months of 2026.
The most notable difference on Steps into Shadow as compared to the debut is the addition of Arvid Sjödin (Floating), and this was the best possible addition, because not only is Arvid fantastic in Floating and at contributing to their signature post-punk infused death metal, but his deeper growls beautifully resonate with the mournful tenor and baritone saxophone that weaves throughout Steps into Shadow. I’m a touch biased towards saxophone infused metal, but that’s because I was a sax player for quite a while. Gold Spire again have crafted a half fully instrumental record and that combo of half instrumental darkjazz metal and half progressive death metal is singular, because there’s no one else quite like them. All the songs are top-notch, too, with my favorites being the chilled out The Mire and the bari sax-forward A Clarion Call. I love woodwinds in metal, and not only is there sax but there’s also flute present throughout.
I cannot find anything wrong with this record. Gold Spire are unbelievably talented musicians and have somehow exceeded the already pristine quality of the debut with Steps into Shadow, and I know this is a record I will be coming back to over the remainder of the year. I genuinely hope we get more Gold Spire records in the coming years because once you listen to the first anguished chords of Starvation, you won’t want to listen to anything else until the gently fading ending of Truth is an Empty Fortress, and even then you’ll just want to listen to the record again. Steps into Shadow is one of my favorites of the year, and it deserves your attention.
(4.5 / 5)
