From their PR Company's website, "Based out of Melbourne and Victoria in Australia, the progressive metal ensemble composes their music around the narrative of their releases. BLACK SEA OF TREES bring to life their themes and concepts through dark atmospheric tones, strong full voiced melodies, falsetto and deep growls. With songs ranging from intense eight-minute-long walls of sound to three-minute atmospheric/acoustic passages, BLACK SEA OF TREES draw inspiration from the likes of OPETH, KATATONIA, CULT OF LUNA, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, and KARNIVOOL. A wide array of styles is entwined into the outfit's distinctive and compelling sound." The album has nine songs. "Divinity" is an opening mood-setter, and it is quiet and tentative.  Segueing into "A Red Dawn," the sound stays quiet…at first. Suddenly, a guttural cry is let out, and the skies quickly darken. It's a slow mover, with meaty bass notes and hardened guitar riffs. There are also long ambient passages with clean vocals, as advertised in the bio. From there, the song toggles between these two competing styles.

 "Servant to the Sun" comes straight at you, and the Egyptian images on the album cover seem to come to life. Ra, the Sun God, and his jackal dog, the God Anubis. It's interesting that they chose them for the album cover, because this song does have a regal, almost majestic sound. The clean vocals cut through the darkness like a beacon of light. "Prophecy" still has that Middle East/North African flair to it. The hushed tones are mysterious as night falls over the lands. "Visions of a Crimson Sun" moves with a hastier pace. The riff isn't overly aggressive, but the vocals are sure. It rises and swells like the tide, mustering its strength for destruction. So far, the band shows great restraint, holding the beast back in chains. "Cult of the Sun" also begins with restrained and ambient tones, and the vocals are smooth and hushed. Suddenly, he appears, free from his chains. He doesn't attack; however, he just watches carefully and plots.

"Omen" is a warning from the Gods. As you look around, nothing is out of place, but a hot wind approaches from the south, and that's your warning. The vocals are very emotional and the music ebbs and flows with seamless transitions. "Field of Reeds" is a shorter song, as the album gathers steam for the final push. It consists mostly of acoustic guitars, and a lot of tension which seems to roam freely through the album. "Eclipse" is the final offering; an eight-minute opus. It hides in the shadows for the first few minutes and then reveals its hideous face. More tension rumbles in its underbelly, and the scream at the end is jarring. This was an excellent album, and as I mentioned above, it's the level of restraint that the band shows that it its shining feature. Ambiance, atmosphere, mystery, and darkness appear in bounds, and they always have the element of surprise.