EPOCH OF UNLIGHT formed in the United States in 1994. It's been 17 years since the release of their last album. The COVID pandemic, while forcing an end to live performances, gave the band a chance to focus on 10 songs, refine them, practice them over and over, run them through a lengthy preproduction until finally, in October 2021, they were ready to record their fourth album, "At War with the Multiverse." They entered ABR studios with longtime friend and former guitarist Alan Burcham at the helm, who used his considerable patience and skills to capture the band at its tightest, highlighting the rhythm section of drummer Tino LoSicco and bassist Joe Totty, a pair that formed the steady nucleus of the band since their second album.

"The Anthropocene" is the first cut. It's a short, intense song raging with Death Metal vocals and a meaty riff. As is common in the genre, drummer Tino LoSicco pumps his feet faster than you can count, and keeps the perfect meter. "The Numbing Stillness" is a bit longer, but within a similar vein. The band is going to have to challenge themselves a bit going forward, if they want to stay in the game. "An Amarathine Line" begins with the howl of cold winds and some harmonic lead guitars. This song has a little more melody, but the raging anger is mostly what one hears. Still, the lead guitar work is pretty strong.

"Beneath a Dying Sun" is another rager akin to the others. Although the band plays very tightly together, they are becoming a one-trick pony so far, not really reaching out with much diversity. "Elysian Immortals" is yet another tightly packed song with harsh vocals and heavy rhythms. "Night Hunt" features a more brutal and punishing sound, but with a little swing in the guitars. Still, how many times can I comment on this unilateral sound? The band seems to have found their niche, but they are resting on it like a cat sleeping in his favorite box. "All Light Dies" is another intense song with very similar features to the other songs on the album. "The Lie of Tomorrow's Dawn" closes the album. Unfortunately, it's more of the same. The band obviously has the brutal side of the genre down pat, but now it's time to take another leap into uncharted territories.

Perhaps the biggest problem here is the vocal delivery. It never varies, further pushing the album into a repeated pattern. Sure, the album is brutal, and the sound intense, but bands have to come up with more than just these two things in today's metal scene. As it stands, it is just a mediocre release.