Taking their name from one of the five rivers in Hades in Greek mythology, the Swiss/Norwegian duo formed in 2012 as a home for Anna and Tor-Helge’s musical and artistic experiments, and right from the beginning, the main rule has been that there are no rules, no expectations, no compromises. The band has been categorized as a lot of things, i.e. genre-bending, style-bastardization, eclectic, and just plain weird, but even if experimentalism and fuck-all-rules is an important factor, the band is not afraid to incorporate melody and catchiness into the music. “Alienation” is about being outsiders, outcasts, and alienated in various forms, mentally, physically, ideologically and musically. The album has eight songs.

“Anhedonia” is first. The tones in the song are part psychedelic, and even part free jazz. The vocals are smooth and calming. At times, the music takes on a harder and darker edge, especially with the backing electronics. It isn’t metal, but it has a sultry charm to it. “Brighter” is sort of sad in a way, almost like a little boy who is lost and wandering the streets. But, he has more skills than meets the eye, and is able to navigate the city and follow landmarks. There is a good deal of tension in the song as well, as if the ending were obscure. “When it’s Over” has thick, fat keyboard notes as the structure underneath some very tender and emotive vocals. You could say that this sounds like a band on the edge of pop music in the 1980’s, but also on the fringes of shadows.

“Eternal” has some great keyboard parts in it, and they are layered with vision and texture. The sound has a way of pulling in the listener and holding their attention, because you are always waiting for what might come next. “Crossroads” is more warm and inviting, but also has ominous tones due to the title, and the vocal harmonies are great. The question lingers, what does one do when they are at a crossroads and must make a decision that will affect their life deeply? “Sedator” has a dichotomy from soft, ethereal female vocals and male spoken word. For me, it’s a segue piece that brings up more questions than answers. “Erosion” is a piano led song with dreamy vocals and a dark context. “Worm” closes the album. It has a captivating and thought-provoking sound, and you feel like you are stirring from a dream. What is real?

Right away, you have to commend a band for their exploratory vision and their “don’t give a fuck” attitude, because these are two principles that the Metal genre was founded on. Although it would be a stretch to call this Metal music, it does retain a harder edge. The compositions are unique, complicated, and dark, but very accessible, and the album retains a very charming and intriguing appeal.