2023’s A Feast Of Sorrow ensured that the Metal world was truly up and taking note of Urne. Put on notice with their 2021 debut Serpent & Spirit, their sophomore release was a deeply personal record reflecting on aspects of Joe Nally’s challenges. It was a thunderous affair, which reflected on the march of time, diseases of old age, all delivered in an uncompromising and confrontational delivery. Fresh from their opening slot on the final Orange Goblin tour, the lens now focuses on album number three – Setting Fire To The Sky.
Urne – Setting Fire To The Sky
Release Date: 30 January 2026
Words: Paul Hutchings
Setting Fire To The Sky has been widely anticipated. Urne is a band that straddles genres, equally at home in the fields of Arctangent as in darkened halls on tour or at festivals like Bloodstock, or at the extremes of Damnation. And the appetite has only been whetted extensively with the release of Harken The Waves, which featured Mastodon’s Troy Sanders on vocals. We will return to that sprawling beast shortly.
I have read comparisons with Machine Head’s Clenching The Fist Of Descent and Metallica’s Battery with the opening bars of Be Not Dismayed. I can see that, for there are elements of both bands throughout the album, along with Mastodon, the soaring harmonies of Trivium and a myriad of other contemporaries.
What is certain is that this is a brutal opener that snarls and drags us raging into 2026. “Fear not, down with the dying hands/Fear not, see the light within the plan,” Nally roars, as the three-piece (guitarist Angus Neyra and drummer James Cook join Nally, who delivers vocals and bass) launch into a pulverising start.
It is full of heft, with a main riff that apparently formed whilst in Tesco’s in Shepherd’s Bush. A song which calls the new generation of fans in Metal to join their older peers without fear or intimidation, it is a powerhouse track which is followed by an even thicker driving riff on the almost anthemic Weeping To The World.
Controlled, measured, but with the first signs of Nally’s aggressive roars, it swings along and stands alongside The Spirit, Alive, which sees Nayra at his fluid best. The melodies in the vocals bring a more accessible sound, but Urne have lost none of their punishing sludgy hardcore roots, which bubble away throughout.
The title track is immense, a defiant statement that leans heavily on Mastodon and Gojira influences without ever drawing too deeply. It is a swirling maelstrom that is at times more Thrash than Sludge, proof, if any were needed, of the band’s continued maturity. Midway through the album, and I am already wondering what will top this release in 2026. It is honestly huge.
It continues to grow on every listen. The Ancient Horizon, described as being about never forgetting the forefathers of the scene, from Ritchie Blackmore to Ronnie James Dio, plays on the emotions, a blend of haunting cleans and anguished screams over a melody that once more shows the versatility of the band.
Vocally, Nally provides quite the range, with his soulful range pushed to the limit, but to great effect. He is humble about his style. “A top elite soul singer operates at a different level – I take what I can from it, bring it through, and find my own tone,” says Nally. It is evident on Towards The Harmony Hall that he can switch, his gruff and powerful vocals here contrasting with deeper soulful elements.
But do not ignore the rest of the band. Cook’s performance is incredibly assured, his blastbeats akin to Gojira’s Joe Duplantier at times, whilst the subtle drive that Neyra brings has seen comparisons with as diverse legends as Chuck Schuldiner and Mikael Åkerfeldt.
Whilst I am sure he would play that down, it is not overstating it to say that this album is a shining example of his quality, and on Towards The Harmony Hall, he shines majestically.
It is Harken The Waves that proves the band’s progress. A sprawling beast stretching over nine minutes, it is a glorious expression of undulating and expansive modern Metal that ticks every box. Sanders’s vocals are distinctive but work collaboratively with Nally as the track evolves.
“It’s not like one of these [normal] features,” says Nally of Sanders’ involvement. “It’s not a chorus or anything. If we’re going to get someone on, we use that person to the best of their ability. And that’s what I think we did on that. And I was just like, let’s just fucking do it. Like we’ve done it all on our own terms so far.”
And to conclude, the melancholic Breathe, complete with a guest appearance by cellist Jo Quail. A calming conclusion to an album that benefits from a quality production by SikTh vocalist Justin Hill, and which has set the bar for every other Metal release of 2026.
Fresh, with bite and a necessary edge, Setting Fire To The Sky is simply phenomenal.
Urne release Setting Fire To The Sky on 30 January 2026 via Spinefarm Records. Pre-orders are available from urne.lnk.to/SFTTS.
