I have spoken at length about the incredible talent in my area. From widely celebrated acts like Cloakroom and Locktender to more underground sleepers like analecta and Jagalchi.

Add to that list the juggernauts Arcem from Valparaiso, Indiana, an hour and some change west of me. They offer the sort of massive, sludgy, post-metal that you might expect to hear emanating from Scandinavia, not the small Indiana basement I first heard them in.

When I first heard of Arcem, it was in the context of their equipment. Fellow gearhead friend Sarah (herself from analeta) saw them at a show and was amazed at the impressive size of their live rig—which just barely fit into the aforementioned small basement. But to reappropriate a common cliche, what matters is how you actually use that equipment. I’ve seen plenty of acts haul out monstrous amp cabinets and pedalboards with dozens of effects on it, only to perform a thinly veiled tech demo.

Arcem on the other hand are skillful workmen, using these tools with a proper artisanship. The tones are excellent, of course—and expertly captured on record—but their real craftsmanship is in their writing. The tracks shift between volcanic walls of sound, stankface-worthy riffs, and quieter passages of gorgeous atmosphere. They are disciples at the altars of Cult of Luna and Isis, and they hit every convention of the genre square on the head.

But if we’re really honest, this sort of Cult of Luna worship is a dime a dozen. There are plenty of groups copping the same tricks without a lick of conviction or originality. Arcem isn’t one of them. The influence might be clear, but their voice is their own. Across the six tracks, they conjure up awe-inspiring sonic behemoths as foreboding as they are majestic. It’s heavy, to be sure, but the sort of heaviness that I don’t mind being crushed by.