Black Halo carried ancient-weighted progressive folk pop rock into ‘In Death I Linger On’ –

Black Halo’s moniker instantly leaves you with the impression that you’re about to be greeted by an artist who thrives on the uncharted intersections of emotive duality, and In Death I Linger On proves that impression right from the first chilling breath of sound.

Through the torrid yet calming arrangement, urgent yet measured in its pacing, Black Halo folded a meditation on mortality into a lattice of intricate fingerpicked notes that wrap themselves around stormy tension. The track sits comfortably in progressive folk pop rock, although it also touches the spiritual post-rock sphere with a natural ease, carrying a timeless sense of ancient wisdom as it moves. With quasi-operatic vocals reminiscent of the theatricality found in Nightwish and Within Temptation, fused with Euro folk motifs and Latin guitars, Black Halo showed a steady hand in pulling visceralism to the surface through confessional performance rather than forceful theatrics. It’s the kind of sound that sinks its teeth in slowly, then refuses to loosen its hold.

Behind that intensity sits a duo who have weathered enough turbulence to pour lived truth into their work without posturing. The themes they explore in their wider discography echo the same emotional excavation that shaped their debut album, Utopia, a concept-driven piece built around troubled characters and the demons that chase them.

Years ago, guitarist Randy Ellefson stepped away entirely after a long cycle of vocalists dropping out and delaying the record. Time passed before he picked it back up, reconnecting with Chase Breedlove, whose recovery paved the way for the album’s completion. The partnership returned renewed, shaped by perseverance, and that persistence hums beneath the surface of In Death I Linger On, where mortality, reflection and the need for release meet in a single strike.

In Death I Linger On is now available on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast