Aseethe, the trio of guitarist Brian Barr, drummer Eric Diercks, and bassist Noah Koester, carve their own path in the world of heavy music. A singular blend of seismic weight, mesmeric drone, and gripping tension is the Midwestern band’s musical signature. Driven by an exploratory ethos, Aseethe warp sounds into emotionally potent songs that are as detailed as they are immense. The Cost is an album shadowed by devastating losses, a visceral study in aftermaths, centered around how life moves forward after personal and universal traumas. Recorded by acclaimed producer/engineer Sanford Parker (Pelican, Eyehategod, Yob, Voivod) at Electrical Audio in Chicago, The Cost is more focused and elaborate than anything the band have crafted before, expanding Aseethe’s dynamic palette with more nuance and transforming their battering sound into cathartic arcs.

A deft balance of abrasive textures surrounding a meditative core is a hallmark of Aseethe’s sound, and on The Cost these qualities are amplified to the extreme. Says Barr, “It’s still down-tuned and heavy, but we were deliberately trying to make a record that uses our own musical language to make something that was representative of the musicians we are.”

On The Cost, Aseethe’s detailed textural movements and punishing guitar passages each carry considerable emotional resonance. The album is abounding in both the skillful arrangements and the poignance the songs deliver. It is a moving, singular and adventurous record by an iconic midwestern band who has always chosen the road less traveled.