DEADNATE is a Progressive Metal band hailing from Denmark. They had this to say about the album's artwork: "The artwork for "Mosaic" was hand painted by Andrew-Durgin Barnes. We wanted a real painting with real risk as you can't really hit the undo button during the process. The mosaic wall obviously fits with the title and overall theme of the album. The two windows and the two faces obviously have some meaning to them. Is he taking the face off or putting it on and why? The colors gold, red and blue are inspired from mosaic art from the middle ages and can be interpreted in a certain way as well.  It was an exciting process and we feel like the artwork fits the music very well."

The album has eight songs, and the fast paced and energetic "He Who Pays" leads us off. The tones are dark, dangerous, and the riffs crunchy. The vocals toggle from harsh to semi-clean and back again, and the band displays an excellent sense of musicianship. "Guilt & Sorrow" hears things slow down a bit, but that fierce intensity is still very much alive in the music. The screams are so filled with rage you could hear them from miles away. "Funeral Cortege" revisits aggression and raises the dial all the way to the top. They are master technicians, stopping, starting, and shifting on a dime, while the song revels in darkness, but it isn't without some melodies either. "Two Tongues" is longest, and following a relatively easy opening, in comes the freight train chugging in at top speed. The vocal screams are once again beyond rage, and heavy, djent guitar tones are at the forefront.

The title track is like a stern scolding from the headmaster. There is a gentler passage approaching the halfway mark, but apparently, he isn't done yelling or scolding. The instrumentation here is very tight, such that you couldn't squeeze a dime between each note. "Neon Burner" is aptly titled, because it burns hot and bright, mostly with an intensity that is off the charts, and chugging, dissonant riffs. The guitars slam down on you like a sledge hammer, and don't stop even after drawing blood. "The Lies We Can Trust" settles the fire down just a bit...at first anyway. Like a schoolyard bully however, it comes out swinging again soon enough. The band also displays some dexterous shifting, and each note is hit with confidence and authority.

"Morass" is the final song, and following some opening lead pyro, the intensity comes back to life again, stronger and more resilient than ever. The riffs move with a distinct groove that serve as hooks to the listener. This was one of the most potent, ferocious, oppressive, and suffocating albums in the genre so far this year. Their technical abilities are obvious, and so is their control over the flow of the sound. The artwork speaks of fracture, assembly, and perspective. A mosaic only makes sense when you step back far enough to see how all the broken, jagged pieces fit together. That's exactly how DEADNATE's music works on this record.