From Bandcamp, “SARMAT expand their exploration of the boundaries of jazz and extreme metal in two compositions, the title track "Upgrade" - which fittingly includes a reimagining of "Landform," among the cornerstones of "Determined To Strike" - and "Serum Visions," their most musically ambitious and conceptually vast effort so far, with bassist Steve Blanco from IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT playing synthesizers, and with the sound of an upright bass played by Niko Hasapopoulos.”

The album has two lengthy songs, and the title track is first. What strikes me first is how dense the music is…I mean, there is dense, and then there is impenetrable. The drummer is quite adept on the kit, and there are trumpets sandwiched between playful bass notes. The background is thick with tension as well. The music swells to a near breaking point, like a galvanized plastic container being stretched beyond its limits, and segues into dark, dissonant tones. I would daresay some of the crescendos are near flurries at their peaks. Harsh vocals enter for the second half of the song, and they contrast sharply with the music.

“Serum Visions” is just a tad under eight minutes, but don’t expect some of the madness to retreat. Trumpets carry some of the opening melodies, but they don’t play nicely with some of the other instruments. Dissonance is what comes to mind mostly. It doesn’t take away from the loose structure of the music, nor their level of musicianship, as I am sure this was intentional. On some level, one could have a difficult time describing this as “music.” Music is art, and like all art, that is in the eye of the beholder. I recommend this for consumers looking for something off the beaten path…and it’s pretty far off that path.