From their EPK, "In 2023, after writing, recording and performing songs from the 2019 EP, which included a video release of "Sympathy," the band had more to say. Fueled by the lock downs of the Pandemic beginning March 2020 and for the next three years, Lothar Keller and John Vitale got together weekly to begin writing what would become their most prolific work to date. The album and the band's first full-length recording since 2011 is entitled "Dismal Swamp" and is set to be released September 29, 2023 under the direction and distribution of Lothar Keller's record label Qumran Records."

The album has eight songs, and "Das Chaos Beginnt" is the first; a short mood-setter. I get PINK FLOYD vibes out of this slow, smooth, and melodic offering. Seguing into "Unintended Consequences," which begins with a dreamy, atmospheric sound with backing keys and rough riff accents, the melody carries forth. The vocals go from singular to harmonies in the chorus, and the chugging pace of the song keeps it fairly grounded. "Truth be Told" is another mid-tempo song, and if you are familiar with my writing, you know how I feel about too many of these paced songs on an album. It makes the music underwhelming and plain.

"Blood and Treasure" is yet another mid-tempo song, and at this point in the album, the first four songs are pretty rough. I get more of a Classic Metal vibe here than I do Progressive Metal. The slower sections are quite mediocre, and the band would do better just to avoid them altogether. "A Dream Within" has a little quicker pace, and the vocals are just a bit pitchy. They are really dragging out a sound that is stale and has been done too many times before. "Let Chaos Reign" totally fails to get off the ground at all. The pacing is so slow, it exposes the overly simple riffs used in the music. This album is getting painful to listen to at this point. "One More Day" however is a decent song. With acoustic guitars and some bright notes, they are steering the ship back to center.

"The Lake of the Dismal Swamp" closes the album, and unfortunately, it's another painful song to listen to. In my experience, there are roughly two kinds of Progressive Metal. First, is the new kind, where literally anything goes. This side of the genre is so expansive, the boundaries are endless. The second kind is more of an old school sound, spearheaded by QUEENSRYCHE in the early 1980's. This is more of the latter. As far as Progressive music is concerned, there aren't many time changes or displays of musicianship. In fact, the vast majority of the songs on the album fall utterly flat, and it was difficult to find anything exciting to talk about.