Black Metal band GLYPH have been releasing music since around the turn of this past decade. It is essentially a one-man project. This is their third full-length album and it has eight songs. “Of the Caverns” is first. The production, although dulled, fits the desolate music. The vocals are just a little soft in the mix, and the guitar sounds are most noticeable, and they are tortured screams over and over again. “Man Has Succumbed to Madness” is a harrowing affair that drives straight down and across the river Styx into Hell itself, and the descending choirs mimic this deep dive.

“All Anger and Hatred Manifesting” is another deeply depressive song, and the slow pace, and whining guitars at times really pushes this feeling forward. “Descending the Loam” is thick with guitars, bass, and drums, while the vocals keep a steady presence. The bass dances a bit with the guitars, but this is no ordinary dance…it’s more like a dance of the dead. “A Most Unfortunate Gentleman in Question” has more audible bass notes, which is a bit unusual in Black Metal. If it’s even possible, this depressive sound is even more frightening than previous offerings, and I have to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure I am not summoning a demon.

“To Lose What We Have Learned” is dissonant, weighted, and suitably aggressive at times. The screechy guitars also straddle the line between outright despair and anger. “Between Ghosts and Gloom” closes the album, and it’s a combination of the worst torture you ever faced and the depression felt at the lowest point of your life. There are even some emotional moments that give you pause. Overall, this was an excellent album, filled with harrowing sounds, depressive sounds, and that low grind that reminds me of what it is like to work your entire life with nothing to show at the end.