Full Album Stream: Canis Dirus – ‘By the Grace of …

Canis Dirus

Bindrune Recordings is once again bringing black metal’s raw spirit to life with the announcement of By the Grace of Death, the fourth full-length offering from Minnesota’s atmospheric purveyors Canis Dirus.

Following 2020’s Independence to the Beast and their 2021 split A Harmonious Union of Vibration with Crown of Asteria, the duo of Todd Paulson (TMP) and Rob Hames (RH) return with what is, undeniably, their most focused and feral work yet. Joining forces with CJ Yacoub (Escaping Aghartha, Neverdawn) on drums, By the Grace of Death traverses a spectral black metal landscape that balances isolation and hostility with an undercurrent of calm, introspective beauty.

Canis Dirus have long made a mark with their atypical phrasing and ability to weave folk textures into the harshest sonic winds, and here, they push that contrast further. From the scorching blackened gallop of opener “Once Cursed Path Glistens in the Sun” to the haunting “A Forlorn Hymn to Absolution,” adorned with cello contributions by Kakophonix (Osi and the Jupiter, Hvile I Khaos), the album revels in texture and depth. The addition of guest musicians like Carl Skildum (Inexorum, Majesties) on solos and Meghan Wood (Crown of Asteria) providing ritualistic accompaniment deepens the album’s mystic, otherworldly atmosphere.

RH’s vocal approach, described as his most “feral performance to date,” roars through TMP’s unique riffcraft – a fusion of orthodox black metal and melodic folk flourishes that feels at once untamed and ritualistic. Tracks like “Tongues That Speak III” showcase the band’s ability to shift from relentless assault to somber meditation, while the closing epic “The Mind Sees What the Eyes Cannot” offers an expansive culmination to the album’s journey.

Recorded across multiple locations between late 2021 and early 2024, the album was mixed by Todd Paulson at Crow River Studio and mastered by Spenser Morris. The evocative cover art, crafted by Joanna Maeyens, serves as a fitting visual entry point into the record’s dark, atmospheric realm.

For longtime devotees of Bindrune’s roster and newcomers alike, By the Grace of Death cements Canis Dirus as an essential force in modern atmospheric black metal. The LP will see release through Bindrune Recordings, while the CD version—containing an exclusive bonus track—will be released directly by the band.

Prepare for an offering that feels both timeless and untethered to earthly constraints. Stream By the Grace of Death in full below and let its spectral, frostbitten reverie carry you beyond the veil.