Hailing from Minnesota, USA, AMIENSUS is a Progressive Black Metal band, formed in 2010. To date the band has released two full-length albums, in 2013 and 2015 respectively. Most recently, they released his five-track EP entitled "All Paths Lead To Death." "Gehenna" is pretty fierce from the get-go, with a quickened pace and furious drumming. The Death vocals are intense for sure, and that back-and-forth, two chord riff with just a half-step between them reminds you that you are listening to Black Metal. But the clean vocal passages add some additional melody to an otherwise brutal sound. "Mouth of the Abyss" is another scorcher, with deep entrails and a cavernous sound from the ever-moving guitars which create a sort of echo that reverberates all around you. What comes out of the mouth is indeed a foul and nefarious creature from an ancient world.

"Prophecy" has a slower pace, that allows the evil to soak in, turning the blood cells in your body from red to black. Once again the drumming pushes the song forward, with blast beats that sound like a machine gun cutting through bodies. "Desolating Sacrilege" is heavy and ominous, like a thunderhead that hangs over, swirling with electricity and threatening to unleash its fury on all that moves below. The vocals here are absolutely anguished. "The River" closes the EP. There is a little more melody here from the guitar riff, making its way up and down a chord pattern and ending on a major chord. The combination of this along with the deep and profound darkness give the track some great energy and intrigue.

It's an enjoyable EP that I only wish there were more songs to listen to. The sound is cohesive from track to track and there isn't a lot of variation, but you don't really come to expect a lot of that in this genre anyway. The Progressive elements are there but perhaps not as much in the forefront; you have to work a little harder to hear them...which is fine because that is what good music should make you do...think and listen. It's about might, power, blackness and brutality, and for this they have done well. "All Paths Lead To Death" is dark, aggressive and impactful. Favorite Track: "The River."