Within the marred remains of bygone days lies the antiquity of nostalgia and with that sensation a danger of foreboding indignation and violence; such crushing narratives is the source material for EMISSARY OF SUFFERING's debut album the aptly named, "Mournful Sights". And whilst the subject matter dwells on the prescription of "what if?" the medium of Death Metal expertly weaves a response in the form of a jaded retaliation.

The 8 piece opens with the ominous, "Total Void," a relentless heavy-laden delve into obsolescence whose message comes full circle with the repetitious chanting of the outro's "we fade to black," screamed over a rhythmic progression that molds into a modulation of the introduction and main riff before ending abruptly. "Rope" jumps from a buildup unto the progression of the verse retaining its rhythm and progression the whole of the way forward prior to the post-verse; the harmonic lead provides an eerie ambience and gives the listener a small breath as it rests juxtaposed to the rest of the jarring track. The title track, "Mournful Sight," commences in a much slower form than its predecessors and whilst the strings move to a more familiar speed the drums retain that half-time feel until about the halfway point of the song whereupon the band goes full-force and unabated only to return to those slower phrases and end on such. The final track, "Cura ANimarum Suprema Lex" doesn't pull any punches starting up with an 8 second drums solo which segues into the verse with ease-the denigrative voicing adds an air of despair to the already abrasive instruments. The last half of the song follows a melodic Doom-esque progression itself a modulation of the preceding refrain, and continues on such until the song fades unto silence.

The instruments are quite astounding to offer a short description, such that each builds atop one another to create a sensation of dread, despair, and disgust through the use of brutal progressions, relentless percussion, and jarring vocals. The guitars contort between sickening sweet leads and dirtied rhythms which parallel the tone of the band; the bass is that of a low earthy substance, devoid of the twangs of mid-range or sparkled presence, the force is that of aggression and anger buried deep beneath the instruments seething in constant motion; the drums are solid bodied, hard hitting, and exceptionally balanced with the rest of the tracking; and lastly, the vocals are a caustic blend of cynicism and ire paramount, their gritty sharpness cutting through the mix in every instance.

EMISSARY OF SUFFERING offers a unique and solid approach to Death Metal, one which is constantly in motion and yet injects in enough instances of headbanging riffs to be in the avenues of Thrash and Speed. Unfortunately, the most detrimental attribute of the record is the size, coming in at just under minutes in length the tracks barely outstretch an EP a testament to their speed as a band but something which will leave listeners wanting. Yet, for any with a penchant for Death Metal this album is an essential addition, made even more promising by its status as a debut.