On The Darker Shades of White, Corpus Christi delivers its testimonies of faith with an ear for unexpected twists in arrangement and shifts in tempo, lifting their assaults long enough to let the hooks sink in deeper. Lead vocalist Will Henry capably mixes singing with shrieking, even diving into an occasional spoken passage. The lyrics he delivers contrast Christian warrior anthems (“Fight for Your King”) with castigations of modern decadence (“Parade of Scars,” “Western Downfall”) and prayers for spiritual triumph (“It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn”). Corpus Christi is unafraid to descend into sustained slogs through churning molten metal (“Prodigal”), but is also capable of complex, suite-like pieces as well (“Marilyn”). Anyone hungry for straight-up thrash-boogie will find satisfaction in “Starry Nights Cloudy Hearts.” Throughout, guitarist Jarrod Christman and Jon Pauly trade riffage with both aggression and finesse. The Darker Shades of White points towards the Light, even as it probes new vistas of expression.

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