This is much more death metal than I thought Wrest was going to give me going into this. This is a much different album than "True Traitor True Whore" , but the samples and ambiance wandering into the latter moments of the song begin to win me over. Granted on "True Traitor True Whore" he was going through a dark time that reflected in his art after being charged of raping his then girl friend with a tattoo gun. Since that died down he has married and put out another album with Twilight, which I was less than impressed with.
"Dawn Vibration" is certainly getting their it's more black metal, but it feels like the last Blut Aus Nord to me in terms of being dialed in when we know he can do more. There is a bleak industrial ambiance to the stormy lashing that "Gardens of Corprolite". There's a little more bleakness, melody and depth on "Wicked Fields of Calm" which is the first song on the album that really connects with me. The middle break section of the song is pretty amazing, with a great bass tone. The clean vocals on "Within Thrall" work well, the first riff while it rips is a little Symphony X for me. The more dissonant descent it takes it a much better turn of events. The verse riff sounds a little like Nachtmystium, in the hateful way it pounds. Judd must have rubbed off on him a little.
The more death metal feel returns on "A Veil is Lifted", but is twisted around with a disco-beat and some murky ambiance. It works , not the most compelling song on the album, but it gets the job done. Of course I am going to love the funereal doom creep to the title track. The blasts it builds into are understandable and well earned. "All Tongues Toward" summons more atmosphere as the drums start with a militant pound. The song then rips into blasting black metal with gruggling death metal vocals alternating with the black metal screams. The closing song is a mixed of crazed howls, slow pounds and buzzing black metal guitars.
This is better than the bulk of black metal coming out in terms of sounds and dynamics, do I think Wrest has done better? Yes. For what this is it works I'll give it a 8.5, some moments really wowed me others didn't if you are a huge fan of his round it up to a 9 if you are easier to please than me.
