The scientific community wants you to believe evolution comes over long periods of time. Millions of years from the sea to the land, millions more from ape to man. Thankfully we don’t have to wait so long in music, and Hail Spirit Noir bare that fact out. Over the course of just over a decade the Greek progressive black metal outfit have gone from traditional (if slightly experimental) atmospheric black metal to Enslaved-style progressive metal to straight up synth soundtrack mavens and the new organic blend of sound that embody their latest album Fossil Gardens. I hit the Randomizer on my Discogs account and came back with Mayhem in Blue, the band’s third full length and breakout album. Listening back to it now I’m finding all the things I love about the genre, its permeability (despite certain bands insistence black metal remain “pure” whatever that means), and willingness to find drama and grace in the weirdest of places. It’s been too long since I heard this album, so I’m happy to set it down here.