HEIDEN presents the darkest chapter of their work so far. Layered, dark matter, like ashes from burned houses engulfed in the Carpathian Mountains. Here, they unveil the darkest chapter of their work to date. A layered, pitch-black mass like ash from burned-down dwellings, absorbed by the Carpathian Mountains." The album has three songs, and "I Refuse Tomorrow" is first. It's Black Metal for sure, but it's tinged with Progressive elements and doesn't sit still very well. It begins to darken as I imagine the massive shadow of said mountains, and listen to the unconventional rhythms…they take unexpected turns at times. "Temnoplodec (Darkbearer)" has a deep bottom, and some say they can't actually see it. Thick bass notes rumble with double kick drums, and the vocals create a black layer of tension. One of the best parts of the album so far is wondering where it might be heading.

"To the Water" isn't nearly as heavy, but its soul is still as black as the abyss. It saunters in and takes its time exploring the room, not rising with anger until after the halfway mark. "The Vedict" is just over two minutes in length and feature somber piano notes along with the weight of the riff and bass. "Bily had (White Serpent)" rattles with old school keyboard notes followed by a dark, twisted riff. For me, it sounds like the frightening things you might hear when the forest comes alive after dusk. A steady sound continues, never getting too heavy or too dark, but what you don't notice is the forest growing fouler and thicker with each step that you take. "Stena (The Wall)" has smoother edges at first but transform into quicksand if you don't watch your step. Rage grows like a swelling tidal wave, and tension hangs in the air like a fog that you can't see through.

"I Strive to Find a Heart" is another song mired in an eerie tension that breaks when the dark riff pours out from the cracks. It's like a disease that you can't see making its way steadily through the village to all households. "The Witness" must be to something terribly awful, because the music makes me want to keep my eyes closed. I can smell the blood, and the bodily fluids, and I can hear the screams of the victims of the past. The darkness invites you in like you were a friend and then closes and locks the door. "The Last One" is the final song, and it's like the breath before the deep plunge. It goes from somber to aggressive like the flip of a switch, and gains in layers until you can see lightning and hear thunder on the horizon, but by then, it's too late to take cover.

This is out of the box Black Metal for sure, taking full advantage of the expanded boundaries as of lately. Many of the traditional or even expected elements are there for the fans, but there are also some eerie qualities, some odd chord progressions, and a lot of tension. Indeed, creating that unnerving feeling that a sharp axe is held just behind the nape of your neck is one of the best things that they do.