First of all, they are not to be confused with ARCHONS, the Stoner/Doom Metal band out of San Diego. ARCHONS is a Melodic Death Metal band out of Rouyn-Noranda, Québec. They are back after splitting up in March of 2013. This is the follow-up to their first full-length album called ''The Consequences of Silence'' that was put out in 2008 to rave reviews across the board.

The 45 minutes fly by quickly! I wanted more because for a local band, they dive into a style that is not that present out there. The local scene is pretty much all over the place. We got some Avant-Garde Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Black Metal but something that has been missing is that Technical Death Metal that is very reminiscent of the Gothenburg scene in the mid to late nineties.  I am always happy to review local talent and see what they deliver. I am getting more and more acquainted with the local scene. I was impressed with their overall material and even after 6 years, the sound is tight and the chemistry is still definitely omnipresent.

This album is a love letter to the heyday of Technical Death Metal in Sweden back in the day. I have to admit that back in the day I couldn't stand that type of Metal. I had a hard time with the vocals and maybe I was not ready as a young man to adapt myself as a fan of Heavy Metal music. It took me years and years to be more open and I started to listen to bands like IN FLAMES and DARK TRANQUILITY was after their huge success. Look, you have to be an open person and you have to adapt and overcome any negligence and listen carefully to the music. I started to really enjoy the style and the combination of Harsh Vocals with some shredding but utter technical wizardry. ARCHONS have adapted their sound to reflect the more recent stuff out there but they dish out what I used to love in that style. The production was pretty good, for something that was self-released, they did a fine job mastering and producing this album. The lyrics are thought provoking, they are truthful and they are really intelligent. I was happy about the seriousness of their lyrics and the overall tone of the album.

Two songs come to mind on some really thought provoking lyrics, that would be ''Nostalgia'' and ''Strength''. These two songs really spoke to me personally. To me ''Nostalgia'' means that sometimes your impact on people is not measured at that particular moment but somewhere in the future, at a time you don't expect. You always chase that nostalgia, what made you happy back in the day, the glory days and you want to give up because you can't attain that past happiness. You have to face your fears and seize the day and not give up on the harshness of the world you live in and the trials of tribulations of each passing day.

As for ''Strength'', for me it meant that the strength we have inside of us is something that can't be measured. You build your strength by doing what you love, you discover yourself, you become whole. Everything you come across will build on that and that you have to be strong nowadays because life is not always easy. Some things you have to accept how they are and some things you really can't change. You as strong as you think in your mind, if you don't like something, change it but if you can't change it, to chase that very illusion. I don't know who did the album cover but it's really really awesome, I highly appreciate a kick-ass cover like that! The musicianship is top notch, the vocals are on point. I would definitely like to meet them and say to them how much this album meant to me on a personal note. I would like to see them in concert as well and see how this album translates to the stage.