Psychework are best known for being the vehicle vocalist Antony Parivainen and guitarist J-V Hintikka made after the demise of Machine Men, and they've been quietly pushing what their novel, dramatic sound can do since their debut. Their latest album, Spark of Hope, sees them pushing it into even darker and more emotional territory, basing itself off the current struggles the Ukrainians face against Russian invaders to spread the message that hope lies even in the most dire of circumstances. It's a powerful message with plenty of relevance, and it undoubtedly led the band to pushing themselves as hard as possible to make what I think is their best work to date.

Musically, this is a dramatic, deeply emotional work with dense atmosphere and sometimes incredible musical depth, in no small part due to the grand, often triumphant keys and orchestrations provided by Otto Närhi and Antony's powerful vocals, blasting past any former accusations of being a Bruce Dickinson clone and giving a rich, varied performance that may well be the best metal singing of the year. This all comes together to give first-rate tracks like the heavy, gloomy album opener "Shape of a Ghost," the equally heavy and dark 'River Runs Red," the moving "Damage All Done," and the emotional tour de force of "C.o.T.S" (an abbreviation of "Children of the Shadows"), which all paint bleak and distressing landscape musically and lyrically that still retain blazing sentiments of power and hope that cut through it.

A lot of music out there has little more to say than "check this shit out," which is all well and good, but it's rare to find the kind of serious intent and emotional resonance that I think truly defines what music as an art form can do, to deeply move someone and make them stop and think about the world they and those around them live in, the trials and tribulations that come with it, and just what it means to push through it all in the defiant act of being alive in a world so often cruel and unforgiving. This is why I have no issue calling Psychework one of the best artistic endeavors in music today, and Spark of Hope a prime example of the kind of power music can wield when handled by masters of their craft with a message to spread using that power. One of the year's most absorbing and touching releases, and certainly one of the best.