UNGOLIATH emerging from the depths in 2002 at the hands of founder Bane. From the very start, the band embarked on a journey of musical exploration, crafting haunting melodies and evocative riffs that drew listeners into their enigmatic world of Tendalied. Drawing inspiration from the extinction of ancient gods, celestial catastrophes, and internal struggle, UNGOLIATH's lyrics are poetic realms of sorrow and defiance. Stories sung from hurt and hope, silence and storm. Their artistic journey has found new dimension with increasingly ambitious productions: symphonic textures, ritualistic choral layers, and cinematic depth now mingle with raw, primal black metal energy.

The album has eight songs, and "Sealed in Fire, Crowned in Dust" is first. A wall of flames comes out of the gates, thick and wide, and the Black Metal vocals are scratchy and deadly. The pace is hasty, and the drums beat mercilessly. It slowly retreats downwards, from rage and anger to hopeless despair. "Threnody of the Fallen Sphere" is another tangled mass of roots but they move with a purpose. Some of the guitars create some melodic moments, but they are still very solemn. There are also some more cinematic elements, like the world around you is on fire, and you are looking for a way out.

"City of the Broken Realm" begins with clean, solemn piano notes, and suddenly you feel as if the whole world is watching. A distorted riff drops, with even-keeled vocals, but the depressive qualities reign over everything else. This is a deep tale of woe. "Shadows of the Eclipse" is much darker, and more aggressive. The band leaves the tales of woe behind and presents a tale of rage so deep, it burns white in the abyss. The anger swells throughout, until the bending is about to break. "The Cosmic Bind" is another thick, dark, and aggressive song that sends evil crawling up your spine. It dials the evil up to 10 and holds it steadily there throughout the song.

"Rise from Ruins" beings with soft tones and keyboards before a segue fully into the abyss. The blackness surrounding you envelopes you slowly, even comforting at first, before it's too late and you find yourself sinking. The sound is heavily layered as well. "Born Through Ashes" is the final act of defiance that the band makes. It's another thick, rich, and hasty sound that doesn't stop. What may be born from ashes is not human, and that's the image I get here. This was an intense album that offered the ferociousness of Black Metal, combining tones of aggression with outright hopelessness, and Bane builds the towering and suffocating atmosphere with layers, one after another. It's like experiencing the waves of Pestilence, as he rides his undead horse through your town.