GORLEBEN is a Melodic Black/Death Metal band formed in Germany in 2010. It took twelve long years for them to finally be able to release their five-song debut here. "Sleepless" is the first song; a 14-minute opus. The opening tones are tense and driven by fear. The main riff is simple, but the harsh vocals and background elements provide a nice, rich sound. As it moves, the desolate tones get more pronounced. Eerie electronic notes come in around the half-way mark, with a slow and steady groove. The vocals pick up towards the end with hatred and lamenting.

"Contaminated" is another lengthy song. The vocals vary between high pitched screams and lower gutturals while the music paints a picture of endless cold, grey and a stretch of days just as bad as the last one. There is also a bit of melody in the song, though it is sung with regret and anguish. They drive that desolate sound home with mesmerizing tones, and a slow down towards the end, signifying your long life coming to a close. "Decay" is a little shorter, but those doomy elements are every bit still alive. The main riff comes in and crushes through barriers, followed by light symphonic elements. The vocals drip with laments and repentance.

"The Heat" is another slow grind of heavy, powerful riffs. They get slower after a few minutes, with spoken words about the attack on Pearl Harbor. The strained, ominous tones come down on you like a heavy rain, soaking you and chilling you to the bone. "Acid Rain" closes the album, beginning with delicate piano notes and just a smidge of hope in the major chords. Perilous tones hang in the background, and when they are unleashed, hell's fury comes with them. The vocals become more incense as the song rolls on, and it ends on another mesmerizing set of riffs.

This album is as desolate as they come. Through the use of mostly harsh vocals and weighted riffs, they paint a picture that is dark grey, with black clouds in the background, and the frigid bite of the wind. The background elements help to thicken up the sound, which without them could become stale pretty quickly, due to the extended length of the songs. I want to live in GORBELEN's house for just a few days, to experience the bleak isolation and feelings of total abandonment. If you have the itch for a totally barren sound, give "Game Over" a listen.