“Beneath the Threshold" represents AUSTERE in the here and now. With their fourth full-length the Australians have taken a long step into the present and embrace their musical future in a way that might have been expected after a 13-year hiatus. When their voluntary break ended with the release of "Corrosion of Hearts" in 2023, the duo consisting of Mitchell Keepin and Tim Yatras returned with a more mature and defined version of their own particular style of black metal, which reflected both their greater experience and evolution as artists.

The album has six songs, and “Thrall” is first. The opening tones are solemn, and powerful, and the vocals tortured. The main riff has a lot of presence, sliding depressive feelings down your throat and into your stomach, and the sink firmly there by the end of the song. “The Sunset of Life” has a similar pace but the pain in the vocals are amplified by screams, and harmonized clean vocals that drip with a fading light. It comes to a head after the half-way mark, with the riff carrying that heavy sense of loss. “Faded Ghost” is much shorter, but no less impactful. The clean guitars have deep sounds of bereavement and destitution. The rain keeps falling each morning, never seeming to end, as you go through the motions of life.

“Cold Cerecloth” is angrier and more aggressive, with a trade off of clean and harsh vocals. The guitars keep that dreadful sound alive throughout the song, acting as the grim reaper to your soul. “Words Unspoken” is a three minute song, giving the listener a chance to take a break from all the pain and suffering. The clean guitar tones are both peaceful and dreadful. “Of Severance” is the lengthy closer, coming out at you like a cornered snake. The guitars build with a furious rage, until the denseness of the music is overwhelming. You finally get a reprieve, but what occurs from there is the title of the song. Severance is a separation. While it can feel good, it can also lead to the worst heartache of your life.

This is a mashup of Black and Doom Metal, but it’s so much more than this label. It delves deeply into themes of sorrow, anguish, and introspection, evoking a visceral sense of loss, pain, and regret. Interwoven with themes of mortality, and existential reflection, the music's intensity is indeed noteworthy, as it immerses listeners in a haunting journey through the depths of human emotion. Life can be more painful than death.