The one-man band EWIGKEIT is back at it again after the 2020 release of "XXIII", and our mystery musician brought his full interpretation of current events to the table. With a change in style with near every release (only holding strong to the black metal roots) it is hard to have a real expectation while hitting play on this album. As a fun fact for anyone is new to this name, EWIGKEIT is actually German for "eternity". This five track release starts strong from the second you hit play, and "Patent of Death" gives the immediate impression of powerful metal guitar. The track stays guitar driven, a trend that continues through the album. Vocals come across as very well produced and consistent. Honestly the vibe across the track seems really polished, with guitar harmonies a plenty and some thoughtful progressive elements on the back end.

I am a touch disappointed in the drum sound, only because some more oomph out of the kick and snare would have paid off big on this track. To touch the central theme of the release "Plandemic" comes in as track 3 with a change of pace. It hits hard and cohesively as an extremely distorted and bouncy track should. The vocals seem more restrained with this track, and I admit I had a tough time discerning the real message of the lyrics. Still with the overall picture I would call this a solid bop. "The Great Reset" ends the album off with a metal grind. It deserves attention specifically for hitting one of my favorite modal points on the guitar and really driving it home. Abundant production value and instrument layering bring all the feeling of this track to a head. By far my favorite of the release. EWIGKEIT has all of the seasonings you expect to see in a black metal project, and all of the power and purpose to boot.

Personally, I work in medicine and this album just didn't catch me as "viral". No worries, as the script is usually flipped with every release. You can only expect the unexpected from psychedelic, experimental, industrial, symphonic, alternative and many other releases under this name.