Over the last few years, I have found myself crossing paths with Colorado’s Comrades on a number of occasions. We’ve played the same festivals (they always have a much better time slot), they’ve played in my living room, and one occasion, I pretended to be on the road with them and Deathbreaker to get free Chick-Fil-A.

Yet for all of this familiarity, I am still astonished every time I get a chance to hear them play (especially in my living room). Their newest record is another genre-melding, heart-rending masterpiece that’s just as likely to fuel a mosh pit as a moment of quiet reflection.

All of the Comrades trademarks are here: Joe McElroy carefully stacks intertwining guitar lines like a master architect. Laura McElroy’s crushing bass tone is offset by her gentle voice, which dances around the hardcore screams of newcomer John Gaskill, who also handles the drumming duties. And those elements are mixed as elegantly as ever into a stunning cocktail of punishing heaviness, delicate atmospheres, and introspective lyrics.

But while Safekeeper spent a lot of its time in post rock instrumentals and Lone/Grey pushed into the heavier elements of their palate, For We Are Not Yet puts the spotlight on their songwriting. Laura seems to shoulder most of the weight of the record, with more emphasis put on her vocal parts than before. Hers is the only voice in “Rest” until the second half of the song. “Half-Light” is a stripped piano ballad that never gets to the catharsis it teases. When the screamed vocals do come in, they often echo her voice instead of offering a counterpoint. There are some moments of soloed screams, such as the bulk of the brutal “Hollow Point,” but they are fewer and further between than they’ve been in the past.

Which isn’t to say this record is any less heavy. On the contrary. They’re just as gut punching and fist-pumping as they’ve ever been. Opener “Fault Lines” eases in with a cascade of clean guitar lines and Laura’s voice before exploding into hardcore bliss. “Smokescreen Season” punctuates an angelic melody with bursts of bass and drum hits. Despite a deceptively low start, “Nightingale” closes the record with one of the heaviest moments of their catalog.

Overall, there aren’t any surprises here. And that’s all anyone could hope for. For most bands, “more of the same” would come across as a disappointment. For Comrades, it’s testament to their consistent excellence.