An Edgar Allan Poe-themed thrash album with industrial leanings makes this a darker version of Angkor Wat. The vocals sit way back in the mix and are on the nastier, snarled side of things. The challenge for them is to not let the tempo run away from them as the more deliberate-paced riffs serve best for the weird atmosphere they like to slather everything in. The other sticking point for this album is that the songs are way to long the opening track is 14 minutes, and thrash is not a genre where this plays to their favor, as they are not Metallica. Even with the samples keeping the thematic narrative going, it still finds the thing dragging a little. Old White Zombie might be a better point of comparison, but the vocals play an even more obligatory role.
Thankfully, the second song stays under the four-minute mark. It's a way better song, as it does not hang on the verse riff for too long."The Fact" is almost 11 minutes long. The riff is catchier than some of the previous songs; it's a very boomy, bass-heavy mix on this album, which creates some sonic murkiness that gives them their own personality rather than jsut trying to recreate a sound from the late 80s. There are moments that bring Coroner to mind. It feels like by the time we get to "the Harrow" the Edgar Allen Poe theme has musically rifted away, though there are still some samples running in the distance. The vocals are mixed so far into the guitar that their croak is almost not audible. To their credit, it gets darker as it progresses.
The collision of sounds works really well on "Through the Cruel Light". It accelerates into a more as it progresses. It takes almist three minutes for distant noise, five nad a half minutes before it does something with" Distant Noize ". I will give this album an 8.5; the vocal coming forward in the mix and getting some love in post-production would have helped in the end. Production would have elevated this one to the next level, but it is fun for what it is.
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