FALL OF STASIS, based in Montreal, Canada, was originally formed in 2014 with the intention of creating original music that couldn't be defined by a specific genre. They started off with a very eclectic and progressive style, and as time went on, it was toned down in favor of musical cohesion and they added symphonic arrangements. Of the new album, the band notes "we wanted our first album to bring something fresh to the metal scene. Each song was carefully written and fine-tuned to maintain the listener's attention. We wanted the album to showcase every member's musical influences without compromising the quality of our music." The album contains ten tracks.

"Wilted Forests" leads off the album. It opens with clean guitars and hushed mellow tones in the background that begin to build. Piano notes come in for just a few bars. It builds to a thick symphony towards the end. "Fall of Stasis" begins with piano notes and a hardened rhythm. Harsh vocals roll with both low growls and high pitched screams. Jessica showcases quite a diverse offering of vocals. "Drunken Howl" opens with a Folky rhythm and a terrifying scream. It slows around the half-way mark with a guitar solo that is both bluesy and follows the melody line quite well. "Baal Arise" begins with a chaotic sound that segues into a distinguishable chorus with catchy notes. It's a short burner that is over before you know it.

"The Cult" is a three-minute blast of guitars, drums, vocals, and keys. The band performs in a very tight space here without much room for mistakes, and they don't make any. "Twilight Carnival" opens with clean guitars with a jovial swing that buts up against the heavy screams like a tempered snake who just toys with you. It reaches out and bites hard, then retreats. The backing elements fill the sound with richness and sonority. "Baron" features a really nice chorus amidst the maddening sound. The band is quite good at pushing these emotional melodies along with their super heavy and fast sound. "The Last Waltz" begins with clean guitars and a melodic, but somber tone. A hardened sound enters and is again tempered with more cleans. The push and pull here really allows the melodies to shine.

"Swarm of Casualties" begins with a soft keyboard melody that gives way to heavy guitar accents. It quickly moves back to that heavy symphonic sound with plenty of melody. The sound again dies to clean tones with another fantastic guitar solo after the half-way mark, and audible bass notes before the chaos returns. "The Chronophagist" closes the album. It begins with tense clean tones and a slow rhythm, with harrowing tones. Some clean vocals augment the harsh vocals here and provide yet another dimension of sound.

I am very surprised to learn that a band of this caliber is not signed to a record label, but it could very well be the band's preference. They are indeed very hard to pigeon-hole, as the present a variety of various elements. They have immeasurable talent and have pulled out all the stops on this album's journey. The album is as heavy as anything that I have heard this year, as well as surprisingly melodic. The band also plays with tight synergy as well that radiates throughout the album. I highly recommend this.