On February 14, 2020, IZTHMI will release "The Arrows Of Our Ways." IZTHMI is a five piece band from Seattle that formed in 2016. "The Arrows Of Our Ways" is their debut full length album! Per IZTHMI, the concept of this album is "the journey of the self and finding solace through love in a time of extreme oppression and ecological detriment." While the idea is abstract, it is successfully conveyed through their music.

IZTHMI's brand of black metal is difficult to squarely place in one category, but it is melodic, atmospheric, and progressive all at once. This could be due to their many influences: progressive black metal, doom metal, and noise/ambient. The riffs and chord progressions on this album are beautiful and captivating. Tracks seamlessly transition between breakneck black metal riffs and slower paced guitar harmonies. Don't expect to hear raw black metal. The production on this album is fairly clean, which suits this style of black metal.

The opening track "Chasm" is a noise track with some ambient synths thrown in for atmosphere. Next, "To Traipse Alone" begins with an entrancing black metal chord progression. The song is interspersed with acoustic guitar passages and a weeping guitar solo. The third track "This Listless World" is an emotionally heavy one, with both fast and slow intense black metal riffs. The fourth track "Interlude" is an instrumental synth track that oddly reminds me of "Possibly Maybe" by BJÖRK. It is an interesting sound for a black metal album.

Next is the fifth track "Useless is the song of Man, From Throats Calloused by Name." The shift from harmonic chords to a much quieter subdued acoustic guitar and back is jarring, but done well. The sixth track "A Shout that bursts through the Silence of Unmeaning" is another harrowing track, with many heart rending guitar riffs. "(The Angels Are Lost)" is an interlude featuring an excerpt from "Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning" by psychotherapist Victor Frankl. The culmination of the album is the titular closing track "The Arrows of Our Ways." It's a fitting close to the journey the album takes you on.

Overall, I recommend "The Arrows Of Our Ways" to fans of melodic black metal with atmospheric and progressive influences. The music is sonically dense and may take a few listens to digest. It's hard to believe that this is only their debut album. Their sound is already quite mature and clean. Even though this album hasn't been released to the public yet, I already look forward to seeing how IZTHMI will develop on their next release.