It's a great time to be a fan of Christian metal. Even just in the last couple of years, we've been blessed with fantastic releases by No Treaty, Plead the Widow's Cause, Pipe Bomb, Demon Hunter, and a lot more. The excellence even transcends into the heavier, more extreme subgenres. Exhibit A: Canadian brother duo Watson Conspiracy. They've been on my radar since 2023's release of "Agony In Atrophy," and their long-awaited full-length record, Lower, has finally arrived, decimating my expectations.

First and foremost, Lower is a concept album, and a pretty bleak one at that. Inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, bassist/vocalist Josh Watson started building a universe in his mind, and Watson Conspiracy was born to set the storytelling into motion. The band's YouTube has a series of videos that explain the story in more detail, so I'll let Josh explain it in-depth there instead of writing about it here. There are some minor parallels to the life of Jesus; the protagonist enters a fallen world and has to die to save a largely ungrateful people ("Carnival of corpses lethargically light the torches / inconsiderate slavers / realize this is my fate … overwhelmed, we are numerous / live in Hell, suffer so we'll be sustained"). But Lower certainly isn't a Jesus parable, as the protagonist: also has a bit of amnesia, doesn't know his purpose until it's too late, tries to commit suicide ("I throw my broken body into rivers of bile … no thoughts remaining as I'm waiting for my life to end"), and has to perpetually relive the same experience of horror and death for what seems like eternity ("Oh you burn, soon to return / unending horror is your calling / damned to be forever falling lower"). Again, on its own, it's a pretty hopeless story. But it's really interesting (especially after watching the video series), and it definitely makes me want to hear more about what exactly is happening, who the protagonist is, why he has this mission, and how this wretched world came to be.

Josh and his brother Peter (of Elephant Watchtower and Diatheke) are a tour de force of extreme metal, and the soundtrack of Lower perfectly complements the horrors and the weight of the world they've created. "Encased In Ashes" opens with whispers and the sound of rushing wind, which then slowly gets louder before the listener is met with blast beats and growls. As the protagonist plunges and hits the ground below, the chaos and panic of being surrounded by demonic creatures longing to devour him is matched by intense guitar riffs and powerful growls and screams. Since the story never really lets up on the heavy themes and dark imagery, the music rarely does either, save for a couple of moments with lighter guitar ("The Void Speaks"), a quiet, reflective piano section ("Lower"), and an eerie ending that cycles right back to the beginning. But along the way, Lower is chock-full of amazing guitar riffs, incredible vocal performances, and masterful musicianship at every point. "The Void Speaks" and "Lychgate" are a couple of standout tracks, but there's hardly a dull moment to be found.

Music this heavy isn't for everyone - it isn't even for everyone that actually likes metal and its various subgenres. But Lower is a masterclass in not only writing incredible death metal, but also storytelling and world-building. It's not a happy story, by any means, but good storytelling doesn't need to be happy. It is, however, intriguing and backed perfectly by the music. Watson Conspiracy is an incredible addition to the death metal scene, and I can't wait to hear more from them.

- Review date: 11/24/25, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com

 Record Label: None
 Album length: 8 tracks: 44 minutes, 26 seconds
 Street Date: July 25, 2025
 Buy It: Bandcamp

1. Encased In Ashes (3:47)
2. Hinterlands (3:39)
3. Rivers (6:23)
4. Agony In Atrophy (4:46)
5. The Void Speaks (7:12)
6. Summit (4:11)
7. Lychgate (4:37)
8. Lower (9:51)