Dawn of Ouroboros aren’t a household name - yet. But Bioluminescence, a triumph of modern metal that’s technically dazzling, emotionally rich, and genre-defying in all the right ways, ought to change that.

Formed in 2018 by guitarist Tony Thomas and vocalist Chelsea Murphy, their first two albums, The Art of Morphology (2020) and Velvet Incandescence (2023), quickly established Dawn of Ouroboros within the progressive metal scene, marrying technical excellence with atmospheric ambition, carving out a hybrid sound that flirted with progressive metal, blackgaze, and melodic death metal, but Bioluminescence is not just a good record - it’s a major statement.

The opening seconds of the title track begin with blast beats that feel like a physical assault, and guitar work that skirts a line between post-rock and progressive metal, carving out rich, complex, shimmering chords with the bass pummeling beneath. Then - within 30 seconds - the rhythm completely shifts. The blast beats skitter, the guitars fall away, and the whole thing dissolves into a lulling wave-like calm as Chelsea’s beautiful and sultry voice arrives. She sounds at home in this sensual register, but it doesn’t last long. Within seconds the band comes crashing back harder, heavier, and led by one of the most terrifying low-end roars in modern metal. Chelsea sounds genuinely monstrous, and then shifts again into a high-pitched black metal scream, full of emotionally precise pitch control. From there, the track becomes a rhythmic playground. The time signatures twist and fracture, and somehow Chelsea’s performance makes this extremely complex piece of music feel not just followable, but even catchy. It should be impossible to process this much information at once, and yet it hangs together as a marvellous display of technical virtuosity: a perfect opener.

This is music that aims high and lands higher. It’s deeply niche, yes, but there’s no gimmickry in its genre fusion - just a well-argued, emotionally resonant case for how black metal, post-rock, progressive metal, and jazz can exist in the same world when handled by artists with genuine vision.

Slipping Burgundy opens like a smoky lounge number that wouldn’t sound out of place in a noir film. Three minutes later, the song explodes, but Murphy’s transitions are so seamless that you stop thinking in terms of genre entirely. Her black metal screams carry melody and pitch, and whilst she may be the undeniable star the whole band is operating on an elite level. Time signatures twist and turn with complexity, but it never descends into gratuitous prog wankery, instead managing the rare feat of being both complex and fun, with everything in service to the song - not the technique. It’s fun. It’s extremely fun. There are hooks buried in the blast beats and rhythms you can nod along to even when they’re in 11/8.

Thematically inspired by the ocean - and fittingly, composed in part by a marine biologist - the album conjures the immense, fluid, mysterious atmosphere of deep sea-life, flowing between crashing fury and eerie, echoing calm. Chelsea Murphy is unquestionably one of the most versatile metal vocalists working today. Her guttural lows are terrifying, her high black-metal screams are full of pitch and phrasing, and her clean singing is delicate and sensual. One moment she’s summoning a demon, the next she’s whispering in your ear, and the tension and release is thrilling. The drumming deserves serious credit, moving between blast beats, jazzy rolls, and complex prog rhythms. The whole band are capable of navigating dizzying structural shifts without losing momentum, and the production is so clean that every beat and detail lands.

The oceanic concept ties it all together as a sonic metaphor for music that surges, retreats, crashes, and flows; expansive, reverberant, mysterious. Bioluminescence proves that blast beats and screams can exist in a context that’s lush, epic, and deeply musical, pushing the boundaries of black metal orthodoxy. If you don’t like aggressive vocals, this won’t convert you, but if you have even a passing interest in modern metal - progressive, blackened, jazzy, whatever - then this is essential listening. A great progressive metal album that deserves a far wider audience than it’s currently reaching, Dawn of Ouroboros are making some of the most vital, ambitious, and thrilling music of their time. The playing is extraordinary, the compositions are brave and fluid, and Chelsea Murphy’s vocal range is one of the most jaw-dropping in all of metal. This band deserves to be far more famous than they are, because this is just great. Really great.