What sets this blackened death metal band from London apart from all the others? There is a more emotional intensity that translates well in the black metal sections. It is not just blast beats. They do deliver some rapid-fire moments. There is also space for the opening track to simmer. The first song alone is not enough to weigh in on judgment yet, but I have found over the years that if I can make it through the first song, it's a better omen. There are tons of bands in my in-box, with whom I did not make it that far with and felt my time would be better spent elsewhere.
It seems all too often blackened death metal bands add the wrong parts of the two genres. These guys seem to get the atmosphere and aggression combo before going into a more winding technical riff for the second song. The vocals are produced to give the growls the biggest roar for your buck. "Aether" chugs along at a very deliberate pace that finds even the vocals finding more purpose. The use of a present bass in the mix is effective and creates a darker backbone for songs like "Mire" to be built upon. It is a largely blunt hammering affair that continues to build momentum as the song progresses, ebbing back down into ambiance briefly before becoming more punishing.
When you are five songs deep into an album that has hit you with high-velocity damage to your ears, you would think it would be time to switch it up so the listener does not become numb to it. This does not happen. By not relenting, things begin to become a blur of buzzing riffs. They are effective at what they are doing, but what they are doing needs to be paced in order for it to achieve maximum impact. I like the effects they use on the vocals for "Beeseech"; it sort of creates a new vocal color, though the song itself seems to be intent on ending in guitar solos.
"Vestige" roars with a more death metal fury, as its aggression is over and larger than life. I can hear how comparisons to a band like Behemoth might be warranted, given the massive scope of sound they hit you with. I think death metal fans would embrace them more than the wider scope of listeners Behemoth has acquired. The album closes with "Seethe." They allow some breathing room as the intro melodically simmers. It ebbs wisely back and forth from the more spacious, majestic sound to the darker, snarling that dominates this album. I will give this album a 9, as they have taken extreme sounds and molded them into songs worth listening to while not compromising a ton on sheer heaviness.
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