Jewel Throne have released Dream World Dystopia, the second song from The Obsidian Sculptor, the EP Wormholedeath puts out on 27 November.
It is the longest thing on the record and the band have spent that length on an extended solo section with an older heavy metal feel to it, rather than on another two minutes of thrash. The song shifts mood several times before it gets there, which leaves more room for the melodic side of a band that otherwise sits between death and thrash.
That is a choice worth noting on a five track EP. A short release usually gets the fastest songs, because that is what sells it, and the title track that came out first did exactly that job. Putting the sprawling one out second says the band would rather show the range than repeat the pitch.
The four have played together since 2020, and the writing is split: bassist Mika Sallanen brings most of the music, vocalist Jesse Huovinen most of the lyrics, guitarist Toni Koskinen some of the songs, with drummer Jouni Kurikka in on the arranging. The EP follows a 2024 debut album and three earlier EPs, and we covered the Wormholedeath signing last month.