Blessed Hands Touch the Ophanim Under the Golden Rainbows by Crystalline Thunderbolts Pierce the Sacred Mountain

When we find artistic renditions of ego death, we typically end up seeing a million different ways to describe the feeling of sinking into the couch. However, losing oneself rarely feels so lethargic, and the new hyper-blackened metal record Blessed Hands Touch the Ophanim under the Golden Rainbows by Crystalline Thunderbolts Pierce The Sacred Mountain gives us an alternative experience to consider. Recounting the psychotic break that inspired the Book of Ezekiel, the narrator encounters intense anxiety and discomfort in the realization that all life connects like the spokes of a wheel. Occasionally, the record provides moments of calm that show Ezekiel’s recentering on his admiration of the divine, stripping back the blast beats and blown-out guitars to reveal an inviting interior of simple, smooth synths. Eventually, Ezekiel once again becomes subject of unimaginable terrors as his human eyes bear witness to more knowledge than was ever intended for them, but he continues looking anyway in order to fulfill his prophetic mission.