LIFELOST are the suffocating Atmospheric Black Metal band helmed by puppet master Phlegeton who unleashes a whirlwind of chaotic and abrasive raw sound. Consistently punishing, "Punitive Damnation" is an almost nonstop record, like being sucked under rapids and losing all control of your body, gasping for any chance at oxygen and some firm ground; the guitars are thunderous, the drums are ever moving, the vocals are diabolical, the mix is ferocious, weaving a tapestry of raw urgency and atmosphere induced anxiety.

An atmosphere building introduction of eerie soundscapes sets off the album's opener track "Astral Construct." right as the reverbed Organ begins to fade, an eruption of blast beats and a shroud of tremolo guitar envelopes the soundwaves. The sound is dense, raw, and brimming with life. The ever-driving drums, pushing forward with blast beats, and the thick smoke of guitars load the track with energy. The vocals, roars and screams in a guttural high pitch, blend into the instrumentation as one sheet of sound.

"Skulldrinker" creates its heaviness not through frenetic pace and turmoil, but through crushing tones and slow hard hits. It's still no Doom track, and continues to deliver blasts and high tempos, just taking a more measured, delicate approach, the track feels more legible and is heavier for it. "Lymbo" has a fantastic opener, a dense guitar noise and a building of Tom drums which create the melody and have a great sound. The track has some great technical blasts, coming on and off beat, syncopated crashing and all-round high energy. One of the more chaotic tracks which says a lot, everything is in your face and at the forefront of the sound at all times, the music being a whirling twister of heavy instrumentation, the tack feels much more Death Metal in its approach to heaviness, that mixed with the sections of swelling soundscapes heavily reminded me of BLOOD INCANTATION's sound.

"Time Terror" is the final and longest track and is split in to 3 clear sections. It opens with more of the same, frenetic Blackened Death, progressive blasts, harsh, melodic guitars that tingle with energy. Section 2 follows a bridge of fuzzy guitar with buried melodies that increases in density till it joined by a slow super simple blast, the track enters a full on symphonic black Metal section with halftime drums, swung hi-hat, hymnal chanting vocals and a droning high pitched guitar. The song ends in its third section, a soundscape of orchestic keys and strings that ebbs and flows before fading into silence as the album comes to its end.

"Punitive Damnation" is a deeply heavy, frequently chaotic journey of highs and lows, as LIFELOST's first full-length album it cements the band deep into the heart of both Death and Black Metal and can be heavily enjoyed by fans of both. The mix is fantastic and sets it apart from a lot of others, making the instruments and vocals all work as one unit, enveloping you into its darkness.