The EPK had some lyrics and other information, but no biography on the band or the album. So, we will have to let the music do the talking. The album has four songs, and "Mental Myiasis" is first. Out of the gates, three things grab me immediately…the heavy weight of the sound, the dexterous shifting of the meter, and the varied vocal style. There are deep gutturals, high pitched screams, even some mad laughter...as well as operatic cleans. I would be lying if I failed to mention some odder tones here and there also, but the band is clearly talented. Adding to the madness, there are clean passages that are almost playful, and there are strings, piano and trumpet to boot. You will probably get more than you bargained for here.

"Am" is a 14 minute opus…and provides the band more than enough time to turn over every single rock in the riverbed. At first, it's chaotic, and even seems to lack a clear direction. But give it time. It settles to a gentle sound, with flute notes and clean guitars, and the contrast is as wide as the observable universe. Melody and chaos can indeed live together in relative harmony, as evidenced here. Alice in Wonderland…more on that later. At the halfway mark, it takes a sharp turn, down an untraveled path into the dark. It comes out on the other side even blacker than before. This is a mix bag of everything but the kitchen sink…with the kitchen sink.

"Cessation Fixation" opens with the heavy thudding of bass guitar notes, and they are animated at times. The main riff is dark and punishing, almost crushing. The vocals are varied again, with operatic cleans and raging screams, and there are even strings mixed in. Approaching the halfway mark, the sound drops to some funky Jazz…that's right, Jazz. To have the confidence to pull something like this off on a Metal album is noteworthy. A run of keyboards follow, and you can hear the wheels begin to come off the careening bus. Somehow however, they hang on by a thread.

The lengthy "It Lurched From a Chasm in the Sky" is the final song…clocking in at 17 minutes. Gentle, clean tones open the song, almost as if you have no idea what madness lies ahead. The madness comes with a sick vengeance. Heavy guitars, varies vocals, and its darker than a black hole. Again, there is a funky section this time with clean female vocals, and you begin to wonder what alternate universe you may have wandered into. The aggressive sound returns once more, and at this point, I am amazed at how the band can keep their eye on the progress of the song with an end goal in mind. It finally reaches a breaking point towards the end.

Right off the bat, you have to marvel at a composition like the four presented on this album. If nothing else, the band has vision. Twenty years ago, this kind of genre smashing didn't even exist, but now we hear more and more. The only thing I struggle with is finding enough people out there who might appreciate this varied plate of Extreme Metal. Then again, I know they are out there. The album is more like taking a trip somewhere you have never been and not packing anything with you…you leave what happens from there up to a whim, or to fate, depending on what you believe.