Maybe their last album "Man, God, Giant"took a left turn in my memory banks, but I don't remember it being this in face style of black metal and though it had a more experimental quality. This is pretty straight up there is a good groove to the riff in "Noble Men" and the guitars are pretty ripping from the get go. I wouldn't say that this album has a typical Norwegian black metal sound. Of all their country men I would day Taake might be the closest comparison and even then its a reach as the vocals are more death metal than black metal. "Humanity Diseased" is when the first melodic section appears to take the album down into the creepier depths. This is also where the bass player begins to shine.
The guitar stays in a heavier thrashing death mode, but still retains a darker sonic quality on "Asylum" . The vocals come closer to singing on "Days in Delirium" which takes a turn in a more Mayhem like direction, while throbbing at a mid tempo in-between angry outbursts of thrashing.These guys have their hearts drenched in death metal on "Shroud of Death" . It's not blackened anything, its straight up death metal. "Death is King" keeps them on the same death metal path , despite the melodic leanings some of the bridges in this song have.
They wrap things up with the title track, which thanks to the guitar takes a creepier tone and gives the bass more more to creep around. They blast off and at this point it feels forced, after hearing the range of what they can do. When the get back into the guttural death metal it feels more natural. I wonder if its harder to be a death metal band in Norway these days because everyone expects you to play black metal. I think these guys have the potential to be an awesome death metal band when they come to terms with the identity crisis upon them. But the album sounds great and they are tremendous players so on that alone it deserves a 6.5.
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