Ancestors’ second full-length Of Sound Mind isn’t out until October, but the Los Angeles quintet’s packed these eight new songs with enough layers of progressive doom expansiveness that you should start listening now. The group name checks Neurosis, King Crimson, Eric Dolphy, Miles Davis, and Peter Brotzmann, which is all fairly lofty, but Of Sound, a triumphant prog-metal ride, breaks the one-hour mark and doesn’t drag, so no worries. The almost 14-minute “Bounty Of Age,” which cycles through heavy drums, airy organs/synths, King Crimson curve balls, and finally some crunching and crusty metal, is a good place to start. (It will take a number of listens.) In addition to the core group, the new album also features contributions from David Scott Stone, Sera Timms, and cellist Ramiro Zapata. As far as the words, we’re told:

Lyrically and thematically, Of Sound Mind contemplates the quandaries of human psychology and its effect on and within the development of modern society. Although essentially conceptual in nature, the record is a blatant transition from the allegorical and mythological framework of their debut Neptune With Fire. [It] lends meaning, while actively seeking answers, much like the work of Camus or Thoreau.

But if Thoreau was into Floyd and Camus decided to write like Proust. Start thinking on that after you’ve absorbed everything else … like a song that may/may not reference Kafka. Either way, it definitely goes with the psychology/modern society thing.

The order of things:

01 “From Nothing”
02 “Mother Animal”
03 “Not the Last Return”
04 “Bounty of Age”
05 “A Friend”
06 “The Trial”
07 “Challenging”
08 “The Ambrose Law”

Of Sound Mind is out 10/6 via Tee Pee.