The Christian heavy music scene is really thriving in 2026. Not only are great legacy bands making comebacks (Haste the Day, Extol, With Blood Comes Cleansing, and even rumors of Tourniquet), but new bands keep popping up and dropping heat. The examples are plenteous, but I've been particularly enamored lately with Chains of Pleiades. This group of mysterious musicians has released ten songs over the last 18 months, which they've recently combined into their debut full-length album, Can I Be Saved.

Let's state the obvious real quick: black metal is an acquired taste. Whether it's the old school stuff, like Horde or the modern sounds of Within Thy Wounds, it's not easily digestible for the average heavy music fan (myself included). Chains of Pleiades exists more in the blackened death metal zone, exhibiting plenty of death metal traits as well. They even occasionally use guitar tones and riffs that remind me of bands like Plead the Widow's Cause and Meadows (particularly some of the later tracks, like "Blacklight" and "Saved"), and there are several songs that feature clean vocals and really nice, soaring melodies (like "Flesh Mutiny" and "White Night"). Things like this seem to make the band a bit more accessible.

That being said, Can I Be Saved is still black metal at its core, with loads of merciless blast beats, matching guitar riffs, and darker, growling vocals. The songs are blisteringly fast-paced, but the band doesn't simply rely on speed to get us by, as each member displays his and her talent, from the atmospheric guitar riffs to the drum fills to the layers of synth.

The title of the album directly ties into its lyrical concept, which sees a person at the end of his rope, trying desperately to find salvation ("Can I be saved / alone in pain / shadows whisper / are they here for me ... I feel nothing / darkness takes me / will I see light / will God save me?"). The album details the antagonist's struggles with anxiety and demonic oppression ("I can hear them trapped inside / why can't I leave? Instead I hide / these silent figures haunt my mind"), hoping seemingly against hope for rescue. By the time we reach the point of salvation and generation in the closer "Saved," we've gone through an experience of spiritual warfare that is probably far more relatable than some of us would like to admit.

Can I Be Saved dropped with little to no fanfare, considering the band's minimal social media presence, but it's an album worthy of attention. We're halfway through 2026, and it's remained one of my favorite albums of the year since its release. Time will tell if it ends up on my top ten list, but it'll be a strong contender. Fans of bands like Trebuchet SDG and Grave Declaration would do well to check out Chains of Pleiades.

- Review date: 6/23/26, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com

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Record Label: None
Album length: 10 tracks: 39 minutes, 42 seconds
Street Date: April 24, 2026
Buy It: Amazon Music (MP3)

1. When I Pray (2:51)
2. Hideaway (2:44)
3. I'm Gonna Sing (3:37)
4. Brought Me This Far (3:19)
5. My Defender (3:35)
6. Shadow (3:20)
7. Coulda Woulda Shoulda (2:38)