Belfast Doom machine chugs on with their most recent effort. There is an impressive blend of dynamics. They are not afraid to stray from the confines of metal but carry plenty of metallic crunch when bringing the heavy. The vocals are swung, but not trying to be Ozzy. The melodies are dramatic and somewhat angular in their phrasing. The only drawback is there still remains a certain uniformity to their sound,as "I Neanderthal" sounded like they were still jamming out the first song until I was halfway done with it. Things shift into more of a Porcupine Tree-like ambiance with the more progressive drift of "Time Capture". The languid contemplation of this is a cool counterpoint to the established mood of the album.
"Some Kind of Minotaur" has a more weighty stomp. I like how the keyboards add to the mood, but I am less impressed with the vocals on this song. If you are just looking for big riffing, fuzzed-out guitars that are locked in the doom plod, then they have got you covered. I prefer the darker undercurrent that casts a thoughtful shadow on "Voidians". The vocals work better on this one as well. The more minimalist creep gives them space to be belted over. When this song really builds its momentum the results are both fun and powerful
There is a more casual strum to "Zodiac Arts Lab". Not sure if that kind of ballad was necessary, but I am sure when they were stoned enough to write it, things made perfect sense at the time. I like the guitar to 'ARCS" It reminds me of bands like Failure and Hum, which is a wide turn from what they were just doing. The vocals are not trying too hard and flow like everything else. 'With Dark Futures" is all over the place, but works better when it simmers down.I will give this album an 8.5, the vocals still need a little work, in post-production, but every thing else fires at all cylinders.
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