More than fifty years after its creation, heavy metal continues to emerge as a living force in the shadows, and SPELL, from Vancouver, evokes that spirit with a conviction that defies nostalgia on their fifth album, “Wretched Heart.” The band, made up of Cam Mesmer, Al Lester, Gabriel Tenebrae and Jeff Black, ventures beyond retro tributes to explore new dark territories, where harmonized guitars shine like torches in the night and gothic atmospheres envelop tracks pulsing with despair, longing and wild exaltation. Forged in the intensity of the scene and shaped by trusted collaborators, this album represents SPELL at their peak: dramatic, vulnerable and unafraid of excess. From existential laments to melancholic hymns shimmering with metal and sorrow, “Wretched Heart” beats to the rhythm of a fiery humanity. In SPELL’s hands, heavy metal is not a mere museum relic, but a darkly romantic pact—restless, cathartic and always in search of what lies beyond the veil. For fans of CAULDRON, IN SOLITUDE, WYTCH HAZEL, GHOST.