This is a preorder item with an estimated shipping date of September 4, 2026.

A solo black metal project based in Toronto, Canada, ENCASEMENT debuts with a self-titled LP that explores a spiral set in motion by grief: cycles of desire and shame, constraint and release, denial and admission. Ultimately, “Encasement” is a statement of acceptance of inevitability and of self in spite of these pains.
“In essence, it is an album about perfectionism, about letting go of self-criticism that no longer serves you and instead accepting yourself and reality,” explains multi-instrumentalist and singer James Thompson. “I have had a long-standing tendency to never forgive myself for mistakes, effectively segmenting my life into a timeline of errors. Over the last ten years or so, I’ve gradually come to understand how unhelpful and damaging this mindset can be – how it stifles growth, strains relationships, and causes a ton of unnecessary stress. I came to see this as a result of unrealistic expectations, and as a form of intellectual dishonesty rooted in an inability to afford myself empathy. It has taken a lot of work to internalize this, and to avoid viewing my time spent thinking this way as another mistake to dwell on.”
Musically, ENCASEMENT’s debut album is grounded in black metal but stretches beyond its traditional boundaries incorporating elements from both death metal and more progressive and experimental sources. Dense, angular, and mournful, the project draws from the intensity of artists such as LITURGY, DEAFHEAVEN, THANTIFAXATH and GORGUTS, while later stages of writing turned toward the orchestral drama of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Ravel.
Created almost entirely through instinct rather than formal production knowledge, “Encasement” embraces raw performances, unconventional production choices, and compositions pushed to the edge of Thompson’s own technical limits. The result is a debut that feels immediate, exposed, and singular.

1. Inertia (00:26)
2. Exodus (07:01)
3. Apparitions (10:14)
4. The Pillory (06:58)
5. Absolution (05:05)
6. Fragmentation (08:45)

FFO: Liturgy, Deafheaven, Thantifaxath, Gorguts