Epic, Captivating & Unforgettable: Zion Returns in Glorious Form

Return to Zion – Burdened with Glorious Purpose

Released: 08-08-2025

Back in 2022, there was an album that caught my attention solely based on its title. If This Is The End, It’s Beautiful leapt from the screen and struck a nerve. No rhyme nor reason other than those seven words. The intrigue and the beauty in such a title had me putting the headphones on and jumping right into the blissful awe-inspiring world of Return To Zion. That album was one of my top five releases of that year and still gets played today when the mood is right and when the soul needs a jolt of lightning.

So, with that in mind, I have to say that I have high, high hopes for the follow up, Burdened with Glorious Purpose! No pressure right! Well first off, to summarize in my own seven words. This album is everything it needed to be, and more. Burdened with Glorious Purpose establishes itself as something more than just a collection of songs, it’s a heartfelt and soul stirring, cinematic journey. Return to Zion, already on a pedestal by me for their deft handling of post-rock’s vast emotional terrain, have once again delivered an album that is both sonically monumental and deeply emotive.

The first track, Burdened with Glorious Purpose, begins with ripples, waves and breaking water. An air of beauty and a feeling of warmth descends immediately. As subtle percussions and softly swollen strings fill the air, the music takes on the pageantry of a slow dawn breaking, as you look out to sea and bask in its awe-inspiring glory. It doesn’t take long before that morning sun breaks the horizon and the band’s full power unfurls like shards of light, as guitars arc skyward, painting the sky a brilliant burnt orange. It’s a track that doesn’t simply open the album, it frames it and leaves a charged stillness in its wake, the sense that a story has just begun, and you the listener are in it for the long haul.

With six tracks to immerse yourself in, the album moves through an array of emotional and captivating landscapes. Dreadnought II brushes forward with a deliberate, almost rhythmic and metronomic force, with its weighty electric low-end counterbalanced perfectly by soaring melodic violins. It’s a place you would happily pause, reflect and listen to over and over again, and at over ten minutes long nobody is in a hurry to let go of this moment.

The cover of Air's Alone in Kyoto begins as a contemplative piece of music with plucked chords, delicate piano and understated strings which cocoon you in wistful and tranquil quiet. Perfectly weighted and with an ever-growing crescendo that bleeds melody and drama, this is yet another track that really tears and pulls at every emotional heartstring and is a well-polished and well-respected cover version. Following it is One Day, the Water Will Wash Everything Away , yet another track which hits hard. It’s arguably the record’s emotional fulcrum, pairing solemn and sullen strings with sudden volcanic releases. With grand, empyrean voices gracing the air, it plays out like a requiem and a lament that is simply brilliant.

I’m already running out of superlatives to describe the emotional power that these tracks have within their writing, each piece awash with beauty, pulling the listener through an ebb-and-flow of disquiet and serenity, but I’ll soldier on!

Out of the Blue pushes the band into that cinematic, widescreen post-rock territory, where cascading guitars and grand open chords rise and drift as if to pull the curtain down on a film’s final scene. Celestial and heavenly, it’s a wonderful piece of atmospheric music, made to look and feel epic.  The closer Adrift drapes the record’s final moments in a fusion of lush, ambient stillness and bold spiraling lead swells. Those lead guitar solos send sparks flying while the percussive power of the drums and bass pins each and every instrument firmly to the floor, signaling a flamboyant and energy driven farewell that resonates long after the last note fades.

Burdened with Glorious Purpose is a bold and refreshing statement from a band that continues to grow organically into its own skin. Rather than cycling through predictable crescendos and post-rock cliches, these six tracks read as chapters in a beautifully written novel. With their rich textures, emotional weight, and memorable compositions, Burdened with Glorious Purpose stands as a testament not only to Return to Zion’s craft, but to this music scene’s enduring ability to tell stories without lyrics.

The amazing artwork courtesy of  Asep Yasin Abdulah / YasinViolet also deserves a mention. Put this on a 12” cover and you have a wonderful piece of art in your hands! Yes, that also translates to “ Vinyl Press Please!!

https://returntozion.bandcamp.com/album/burdened-with-glorious-purpose-3