~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Stormy and brooding, Steps into Shadow is the latest offering from Swedish progressive death-doom five-piece GOLD SPIRE. Active since 2019, the band has one full-length record to its repuation, with a second shortly to follow. Today, Doomed & Stoned gives you an exclusive first listen to the title track.

Following in the shadowy tradition of bands like Enslaved and Paradise Lost, the song gives the impression of being in the midst a surreal nightmare. The addition of the saxophone charges the atmosphere with wild instability. Lyrics speak of this "ruinous path where we fallow, wandering in disrepair...burdened until our last steps." Gutteral vocals cry out for "rain to deluge this unbearable world."

Says the band:

The album 'Steps into Shadow' is dedicated to the Swedish working class and to the struggle for emancipation in times of eroding democracy and the resurgence of fascism. The title track reflects on the societal and personal decay inflicted on the downtrodden as the ruling class tries to make unity and solidarity an impossible option. It also has personal sentiments embedded, exploring our complicated love for our childhood hometown in northern Sweden.

Look for 'Steps into Shadow' (2026) by Gold Spire on Awakening Records, releasing June 19th (pre-order here).

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

GOLD SPIRE’s second full-length album Steps into Shadow will be released on June 19, 2026 via Awakening Records. The album will be available on CD and digital formats.

Formed in 2019 in Uppsala, Sweden, GOLD SPIRE was created by brothers Erik Sundström and Påhl Sundström following the end of Usurpress. What began as an outlet for ideas developed during the recording sessions for Usurpress’ final album Interregnum gradually evolved into a project drawing from progressive death metal, doom, progressive rock, and jazz-influenced arrangements.

Together with saxophonist Magnus Kjellstrand and bassist Petter Broman, the band developed a sound focused more on atmosphere, contrast, and dynamics than strict genre boundaries. Heavy sections sit alongside slower melodic passages, while saxophone, flute, and layered arrangements play a consistent role throughout the material.

On Steps into Shadow, GOLD SPIRE moves toward a darker and more direct approach while keeping the progressive and death metal foundation central to the album. The material balances heavier riffs and dense arrangements with more restrained passages, allowing the album’s atmosphere to build gradually across its runtime.

The album also marks the first release with vocalist Arvid Sjödin (FLOATING), who joined the band following the departure of former vocalist Heval Bozarslan. His vocal approach brings a different presence to the material while fitting naturally into the band’s evolving sound.

Steps into Shadow was recorded between 2023 and 2026 at Studio Siborator by Erik Sundström, with mixing and mastering handled by Lawrence Mackrory. The artwork was created by Påhl Sundström.

Rather than moving further toward technical excess, GOLD SPIRE continues to focus on mood, pacing, and atmosphere, combining progressive structures with death metal weight and darker melodic elements without losing cohesion.

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