From their EPK, "The stage is set. The lights go down. The play begins. In what can safely be described as one of the most theatrical and dramatic approaches ever found in Modern Metal music, enigmatically veiled collective CURSE OF CAIN are bringing a much-needed dose of innuendo and embellishment to the scene, creating an apocalyptic Mad Max style wasteland with their cinematic metal grandeur few are capable of pulling off convincingly." Their album has nine songs.

"The Mark" is first. Spoken words set the stage. The sound that follows is rich with harsh vocals, aggressive riffs, and a good deal of melody. There is a full background of swirling elements that come together nicely as well. "Alive" is a more tender song with strong melodies and harmonies, and you can feel the emotions here. They are "alive," if you excuse the pun. Things pick up after the second chorus with an injection of energy, and it ends with keyboard notes. "Embrace Your Darkness" begins with tense elements that give way to a darker sound, as the title suggests. The vocal harmonies in the verses are very nice, and mysterious shadows abound at every turn.

"Blame" has a slower sound that is still very rich. One thing that the band does very well is placing elements such as keyboards and vocal harmonies in just the right place. The sound is hypnotizing, and catchy as well. "Hurt" pours emotions out of an endless vase and onto the ground everywhere. The song is as emotional as it is brutal and heavy, but again, the vocal harmonies keep the song in the light. "Never See the Light Again" is both touching, and emotionally charged. Keyboards provide a nice rounding element to this song, which is plenty sturdy when it needs to be. The piano notes at the end push a feeling of regret.

"The Ground" also has a lot of emotional elements. Again, the backing elements are really finishing touches by a band that knows how to use them to make cohesive music. "Dead and Buried" has conflicting elements between the melody and heavy and filthy harsh vocals. It's the balance between these two that works so well on the album...aggression tempered with melody. "Blood the End" closes the album. Dark, melodic elements spew from this song, and the melodies are on point. Let them do what they were intended to do...even if it means your end, because the sunset is quite beautiful. Overall, I was most impressed with the balance that the band found on the album. There are plenty of well-timed melodies, showing the band's strong songwriting, and there are plenty of balls as well, which threaten to crush you in their vice. This album has the best of both worlds, and the production and presentation is stellar.