"A Dirge for the Damned" has a similar intro to that of DISSECTION would have been proud of. The aspects of thrash and melodic clashes actually link very well. The dark vocals from Micke aren't distorted in any way, so the song is very easy to get into to. ASTROPHOBOS themselves are a Melodic Black Metal entity, and in this song you can hear the influences clearly. With a pulsating drum melody in the background analogous to that of old school DARKTHRONE's own Fenriz. It's homage to old school Black Metal, but with new wave melodic skills. Because the song is of great pace, the vocals running through beautifully, it's a very easy song to hear. The band are clearly trying a few things out, but they haven't thrown in a very stereotypical Black Metal traits, i.e sounds for ambience, solos thrown in to lengthen the song. Sometimes, less is more, and in this case, so much more.

"Rites of the Inner Shrine" starts with a more vibrant kick off than previous, with several Black Metal sounds that we have come to love over the years, the clash of thrash melody with Blackened Death Metal vocals go together to create black harmony. The tempo is higher than before, showing the band to stretch their legs out and start to take us places in the song. Showing off their skills are musicians. Micke holds the chords well in his own style. A few noises we hear remind us of Dead (MAYHEM) how he worked, this is not a copy as it's near impossible for a new band to sound completely unlike bands before. Heads will bang, feet will tap along to this song. It works very well throughout.

"Death's Omnipotence" shows that the order of songs thus far seems to get heavier and faster as they go, which is a real treat for us to compare the songs. The vocals are held for longer which goes well as the melody if anything is filling out and deepening as the album progresses. Backing vocals for Martin are more noticeable in this too, proving the man can and will thrive at everything. The album title track seems to be the most complex, with multiple things being tried including more melodic approach to the instrumentals, this is something that they have pulled off effortlessly. Micke has us in the palm of his hand following his vocals into the darkness and beyond. The sway of the melody is almost hypnotic in its beauty, it's a creative link to the good days of Black Metal

"Shadows Etched in Stone" returns to a more melodic intro, the DISSECTION influences can be heard again. The darkened vocals prowess from Micke come into play nicely, this time its shorter bursts, so you can appreciate all aspects from the band. The chords he holds on are fantastic as you can really feel the passion. This is the longest song on the album, but as it waves throw poetically, it feels like it doesn't last long enough. The instrumental melodies are heard easier here. Its more about the song than the words, a journey that has two parts.<