From Bandcamp, "ACOD is ready to unveil "Fourth Reign Over Opacities and Beyond," the perfect sequel of the previous opus...a shiny Black Death Metal with epic parts who reveals the beauty and the greatness of the depths. This saga tells the long journey of an uncommon soul into the abyss, losing faith in men and gods, but also in himself, acing his own fears in form of chimeras, and trying to understand what this tormented afterlife is, as a strong similarity with our current lives. But everything happens for a reason and the revelation could be made at the end of his path." The album has ten songs

"Sur d'Anciens Chemins..." is the first. Symphonic elements swirl along with melody in this instrumental opener. As the song grows, it becomes darker and more sinister. It's actually very well put together. "Genus Vacuitatis" has a much thicker Black Metal sound, with a bombast of various elements working together in unison. It brakes at the half-way mark, with more somber tones, before beginning an aggressive march to the end. "The Prophecy of Agony" is a slightly slower affair but with no less magnetism. They fill every nook and cranny with backing sounds but they are not heavy, relentless guitars that are so common in the genre. The piano notes at the end are haunting.

"Nekya Catharsis" is another carefully crafted song with Symphonic elements to augment the horror. Some brief spoken words accompany the vocals, and the background is full of haunting sounds. "Infernet's Path" is a short, instrumental segue to the remainder of the album. The tones are dark, and ominous. "Artes Obscurae" begins with what sounds like a summoning spell. From there it's a slow grind, with harrowing backing vocals that picks up with intensity along the way. The vocals sound like they are coming from the Underlord of Hell himself. The title track begins with spoken words that plead with their tormentor for a few moments of peace. Like the demon that he is, he answers with deeper torture, and you sink lower and lower into the firey pit. "Through the Astral Door" is longer and heavier on the Symphonic elements. Thick bass notes can also be heard dancing in and around the main riff. The power generated in this song is as ardent as the lovely slow down after the half-way mark. From there, it finishes with a strong and wicked edge.

"Empty Graves/Katabasis" is the lengthy closer. All of the elements that are present on the album come together in this final aggressive push, and it's a memorable experience. Overall, I am not only impressed with the musicianship of the band, but also their ability to fill every space with elements besides a wall of guitars. It takes a thoughtful approach to be able to do that, rather than resting on what the forefathers did. This album is forward thinking, and very menacing.