Lets get the fact that this album is not as heavy most death metal out these days out of the way. While we are at it we'll go ahead and talk about how this is more along the lines of Enslaved's more mainstream offerings. But for me heavy just doesn't do it any more. I need songs. At the end of the day that is what makes you return to an album. "Buried in the Sand" makes me take notice. While the opener "Following the Voice" didn't do as much for me and felt like run of the mill metal, almost like older Mastodon. There are some progressive elements going into the second song they just flow better. There is more of a classic metal infused with rock n roll on "Worshipper". A deeper growl surfaces before they lock into a more Tool like groove flowing into "Pentacle". The vocals are more like modern day Mastodon when they go into the sung sections.
The bass line evolves into a snake like riff that winds it's way around "Ibex Eye". They are really going for a Mastodon thing in a big way here. The death metal vocals are the only thing that seperates them from being a total rip off. While Mastodon has not really been a metal band per se, songs like "My Gallows My Home" marries past Mastodon to present day Mastodon and throws some classic Opeth in for good measure. The organ in "Serpents" gets things on and even more prog minded footing. The vocals have an almost more apathetic Hum like quality to them in their tone, before they go up into a more rock register.
By definition the last song "Incantations" is a power ballad. Some of the guitar works reminds me of the song "Diary of Madman" . It builds in a manner more like Metallica and kicks in with the Masto-worship this album drips with. I'll give this a 7.5, some of the idolizing on here is almost plagarism, but is well played and recorded so that is worth some . The riffs are pretty catchy, but the rule around here is "cool riffs alone do not make a good song." This album drops on Season of Mist next week.
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