The name of the band, translated, means "the point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is furthest from the sun." They are described as “Progressive metal with happy little flecks of death from the capital of Ottawa. Lyrically, the album tells the story of a man’s descent into madness and his own mind in response to the mundanity and repetitiveness of the world around him. As our protagonist loses his grip, he begins to allow his relationships with those he cares about to deteriorate, and becomes increasingly paranoid; at first suspecting that those who love him are hurting him, being unfaithful, and eventually that they’re merely actors who are staging his life. As he stalks his wife one day, he is confronted by a homeless man who tells him not to trust his reality and that everyone around him is not what they seem. In response, he snaps completely and begins to run from his life.”

The album has eight songs, and “Prenascent” is first. It’s a short mood-setter, and mood is grey, and a bit tense. Not knowing what’s around the corner, the title track eases in with piano a good deal of melody. The vocals are very expressive, and you can hear the lamenting with each note, and the music still stays on the tense side. The song then takes a darker and heavier turn, with ominous qualities, and it makes a spring for the finish line, with wolves at its heels. “The Seed of Doubt” has more tension, in an almost jovial way, leaving the listener unable to articulate how the really feel. Piano carries much of the sound, together with emotive vocals that are hushed at times and wide-open at others, but the feelings run deep and strong.

“Fragility” is another piano led song, along with some strings. As the title suggests, the song at first is tender, and supple. Through three songs now, it’s the vocals that present much of the emotion for me. Evan’s voice is so expressive. This song also has a much heavier backbone that comes out for me as frustration and anger. His fragility hangs in the balance, and can easily be shattered. “The Heavy Mist” is indeed a chugging, heavy affair, but not without the tenderness that the band has shown so far. A real juxtaposition is this song title and the one before, because they don’t fully encapsulate the album. Instead, they bring shades of grey along with them, and a sense of uncertainty. When Evan belts out his vocals, they remind me of the power of Howard Jones.

“Flight” is on the heavier side and some of those Progressive elements peek through a little more. Like a mad man fleeing the scene of a crime, the sound is wide open and as a listener, you can easily get caught in his plight, as he ducks for cover but never stops running as far and as fast as he can. “The Interloper” is more pensive at first. The subject reaches the point to where he really doesn’t know what is real and what isn’t, and that is very unsettling, but his feel seems glued to ground, and he doesn’t know how to take the first step, or where. What comes out of his mouth is a plea scream to whoever may be listening above.

“Deserter” closes the tale, and this sums up the tale. Feeling completely forgotten and deserted, that can drive a man to nearly anything. He scream uncontrollably, and suddenly wonders if the entire experience was just a bad dream. What strikes me most about the album is how well the themes fit into the music, as well as the level of care they put into their craft. The music has this thread of tension that runs through it in nearly every song, and the musicianship is outstanding. It can go from calm to on fire in a second, and it keeps the listener actively engaged in both the music and the tale. Bravo.