Every once in a while, I find an album from a band that might seem less-than-noteworthy that simply blows me out of the water. They might not have much name recognition or too many followers, but this piece of music that found its way to my ears instantly plants itself in my steady rotation.

A few years ago, that album was Isolation Ritual from HarborLights. Released in late 2019, the record offered up a stunning mixture of Appleseed Cast-esque emo-tinged post rock and Russian Circles style heaviness. It was an instant purchase, and remains a frequent visitor to my turntable.

But unfortunately, timing was not on their side. While the pandemic steamrolled everyone’s momentum, HarborLights had just gotten started, and it seemed like they might not survive. After some retooling though, two members of that outfit relaunched as Widower, with a sound that was reminiscent of their former life, but a new fire, ignited from the inferno that almost destroyed them.

Alone as a God, their new album, retains everything that made me pay attention to their previous project in the first place, but with the heaviness knob turned way up.

From the opening moments of Hum-y opener “Athena,” Widower’s past selves are instantly recognizable. Matthew Right’s vocals are a dead give away, but his guitar work, and his interplay with the drumming and bass lines of Jordan Rodriguez, are just as sophisticated and intricate as ever. Much of this record could easily fit on Isolation Ritual without much fuss.

But while that record certainly had a heavy streak, it feels tame compared to the barn burners on this disc. “Draco” and Boleskine” don’t flirt with hardcore as much as they take it home to meet their parents. “Boleskine” in particular is as mosh-ready as anything under the post rock umbrella could be. “Blood In. Blood Out” is practically metalcore, complete with a rapid tempo, atonal panic chords, and screamed vocals.

It’s not just an added heaviness though: their ear for detail is more finely tuned than ever. “Athena” in particular has a legion of small sounds hidden among the monolithic riffs, including multiple vocal harmonies and background screams that are almost subliminal. The shape shifting “Synthetic Dreams” is another great example, rhythmic loops creating polyrhythms between the sound of drum sticks on hi-hats.

The thing that Widower does best though is weave together compelling sonic narratives. Where so many post-rock-adjacent bands follow carefully laid routes for maximum tension and release, Widower manages to achieve the same resolution without being formulaic. The songs are unpredictable without sounding aimless, satisfying without playing it safe.

And more than anything, they sound sure of themselves. This is as surefooted and confident a record as most bands release a decade into their career. I only hope that they have a long career ahead of them.

Alone as a God is out May 5th.

Follow Widower on Instagram and Bandcamp.