Brazilian Progressive Death Metal band ABSTRCTED debut full-length concept album about redemption and self-knowledge drawing inspiration from all things esoteric. The album contains seven tracks. "Introspection - Ego Death" opens the album. This thirteen-minute epic begins with clean guitar and segues into heavier rhythms complete with keys and even some harsh vocals. This song packs a real punch of a lot of different elements...time changes, clean and harsh vocals, various solos, and a firm understanding and performance when it comes to Progressive elements.

"Wither to Dust" is a much more succinct song. Coming at you out of the gates with anger and a puffed up chest, the harsh vocals work well with the rough rhythms in the guitars. They remind me a bit of PERSEFONE here, minus some of the insane meter changes. Still, the band moves skillfully through some of these changes. "Whisper into the Void" retains the hardened sounds and moves to drive the knife into your belly until it slides out the other side and the breath leaves your body. But those clean guitars and keys are bright with melody, and that guitar solo is fantastic.

"Between Samsara and Samadhi" opens with heavy, punishing guitars, bass and drums. From there a circle pit opens up and one by one each victim falls to its perimeter of chaos. Clean vocals break out around the half-way mark for just a moment or two. "Eightfold Path" is a near ten-minute beast. Beginning with some more melodic elements, the hardened sound continues strong. The sound then drops to just steady and spacey keyboards, as if you just opened up a wormhole to a different dimension. A much heavier sound then develops and threatens to pulverize you into dust. Clean tones take the song to completion.

"Decree of Sunlight" is another long offering where the band really showcases their collective musicianship. They move through complicated passages like a breeze on a sunny spring day. Those moments of melody shine so bright it's like rays of sunlight cutting through massive thunderheads during a storm of a century. The sheer number of chord and meter changes here are difficult to keep up with. The fifteen-minute opus "Prospection - Ethereal Rebirth" brings the tale to a close. This song features all of the element that any Prog head would want to hear...blisteringly fast guitar work, thunderous drumming, a varied vocal style, enough melody to fill an auditorium, and the kitchen sink to boot.

On "Atma Conflux," ABSTRACTED explore nearly every nook and cranny of the Heavy Metal genre...weighted and punishing elements and melodic and catchy moments as well. Their collective skill is like an assassin lurking in the night, systematically killing off each of his opponents with silent precision, not even suffering a paper cut along the way. For fans who need more sophistication and intelligence in their music, this is for you. For plebs who are oblivious to this style of music, this is for you also.