Sermon is an anonymous musical force, dedicated to preaching the concept of spiritual and theological balance. In a world of divisive opinion and reckless faith, their output aims to craft a thoughtful intersection for all beliefs. A beacon of iridescent musical light amid the torpid fog of modern life, Sermon blazed brightly but briefly when they released their debut album back in 2019. Led by the shadowy figurehead known only as Him, they blurred boundaries between forward-thinking progressive metal and something deeper, darker and more emotionally demanding. Aptly titled Birth Of The Marvellous, Sermon's first foray garnered widespread acclaim and the effusive support of listeners around the world. But then, after a single live show at Prog In Park in Poland, there was only silence. In the years between then and now, the world has become a darker, nastier place. Summoned from their slumbers for a second time, Him and his collaborators are back with an album that accurately encapsulates the mood of the moment. An intense, dynamic and often startlingly heavy trawl down corridors of corruption and stairways of compromise, Of Golden Verse is an even more devastating artistic statement than its predecessor. As Him explains, the new material's spiky spirit was an entirely natural development. Preceding the release of the album early in 2023, first single Golden is a stunning entry point to Sermon's reconfigured world. Dense with melody and melancholy, it showcases the band's expanded sonic vision across seven minutes of noirish and unpredictable prog metal that feels like one long and highly eventful crescendo. Wed to lyrics that detail a slow, steady chipping away at the human spirit, it heralds the return of Sermon with an imperious flourish.