ARA is a Progressive/Technical Death Metal band based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Following an EP release in 2012 entitled "The Blessed Sleep", the band presents their first full-length album here entitled "Devourer of Worlds", which contains ten tracks. If the opening bombast of "Incunabulum" is any indication of what is to come, the monster under the bed is both frightful and foreboding. The vocals are deep and intense, akin to how some Death Core bands approach the style. The technical elements of the music are present but not over-done, favoring a more traditional composition over mindless riff and meter changes. As is common here in this style, the drumming is simply herculean, demanding much for the track. In "Obelisk" we here more of the dissonant connections that keep the track void of a lot of melody patterns. The focus is instead on the energy, brutality and technicality. The first sign of any let up is the brief acoustic opening and slower pace of "Insectile Abberation". The guitars plod the riff along as if you are stuck in deep, black mud, unable to get out. "Cadaverlanche" however, swings back to the far extreme end of the style, endlessly pummeling your senses. Once again, the drums are just a flurry in their attack, and how the bass and guitars can keep the time from this is a testament to their talent. "Dredgehammer" sound exactly as you would imagine based on the song title. Slow, despondent, hateful chords rain from the shrouded sky, dropping on you like thick pieces of volcanic ash. "Human Garbage" is similar in its sound, with the guitar riffs buzzing with harsh discord, while the drums reverberate throughout, knocking and crashing all around. "Devourer of Worlds" closes the album. Again the weight of the track is just crushing, fueled by the pure anger of the vocals, feeling as if at any point playing any more of the song might result in the summoning of a demon from an ancient world. Overall, the intensity displayed here is really unmatched. It's like being locked in a small steel lined cell and having your head repeatedly banged over and over from every possible angle for a week straight. Fans of brutal and technical music will surely find this to their liking. While I found the overall product absolutely uncompromising, some of it blended together for me a bit as well.<