Worm Ouroboros have a knack for making dark and lonely music sound beautiful. They’ve managed it on past releases, and they manage it again on “(Was It) The Cruelest Thing.”

Again featuring the trio of vocalist/bassist Lorraine Rath, vocalist/guitarist Jessica Way and drummer Aesop Dekker (Agalloch), “The Cruelest Thing” conveys a quiet and restrained sense of urgency. The dual harmonies of Rath and Way create an uplifting feeling that follows their voices throughout the song, complemented by Dekker’s impressive performance behind the kit.

The sounds of doom have their place in “The Cruelest Thing,” but the new Worm Ouroboros sounds more like a light waking dream than a suffocating nightmare. The San Francisco trio pulls from a variety of influences to create their sound, and the end result is captivating.

“In many ways this album is darker and more raw than our previous two, and hope plays a smaller role,” the band says. “‘(Was It) The Cruelest Thing’ is a love song to the memory of beauty when hope and light are extinguished. It’s the lie the heart manufactures in order to keep beating once all context is gone.”

Profound Lore Records will release Worm Ouroboros’ third album, What Graceless Dawn, on December 2. Preorders are available for the album here.