KHIRAL began their journey in 2008 as a three-member Rock outfit called IVANA RED. The band wanted to move towards a heavier sound to which the lead vocalist, at that time, disagreed leading to his exit. The band decided to forsake its moniker and start afresh with new material and a new name. While the band experimented with their sound, they also experimented with several vocalists. In 2010, the band recruited Tiina Honkanen-Gustafsson, a fearsome lady vocalist, who got the band noticed for her powerful vocals. She would, however, leave the band in 2012. The band would briefly take a hiatus with the members concentrating on several other projects. In the spring of 2016, the mantle of the vocalist fell on Tuomo Vänskä who brought a new ferocity to the sound. They quickly released three singles and began plotting their first full-length studio album. The band faced another setback as the drummer at that time decided to leave the band. The band recruited Markus Lehto on drums and chugged ahead with their album release via Inverse Records.

The album has a runtime of just under 30 minutes which is just about the perfect length for a Death/Thrash Metal record. The album has seven brutal songs with most songs hovering around the four-minute mark. The opening track, "Stained" has a simple and clichéd melody at the beginning before the distorted guitars and the drums join the party.

It takes the song a little more than a minute before it jumps to life with a Thrash riff. The guttural vocals make its appearance and give the song a new dimension. "Orphanage" is the second track and has a Groove Metal riff right from the beginning. The track is an impressive second song and is a delight to listen to. Brutal from start to finish! "Chokehold of Shame" and "Narcissus in Your Mirror" is pretty much in the same vein as the opening tracks. There is also the interplay between deep guttural vocals and high pitched screeches. The last track on the album and the longest one is "Lichen" a five-minute long song. The song starts off sedately enough before picking up the tempo around the one minute mark.

This is a strong album. From start to finish there are very few places that the band lets up on its energy and ruthlessness. So what works in their favour? Amazing vocals coupled with Groove Metal riffs for one. The songs are short and to the point and do not dwell on pointless solos. The band's influences are clearly evident in their sound which is bands like LAMB OF GOD, PANTERA and MACHINE HEAD. I would say that this band is a Death Metal band with generous helpings of Thrash and Groove sounds. So what does not work for the album? The songs, as good as they are, are quite uninspiring. They seem a little non-descript with no track in the 'extraordinary' category. The band tries to vary the tempo in certain songs, but really does nothing to entice the listener. Keeping in mind that this album is their debut effort, one is willing to overlook the absence of that 'mind-blowing' track. The band also needs to work on its line-up and remain stable to establish a connection with the fans.Production 7