Don't you love it when band names make you Google new words? I'm talking of course about the 'grumpic' part of the band name GRUMPIC DISEASE-which it turns out is not a word. Google asked me if I meant 'grumpy' and the only results were for this band; which is an advantage of such a unique moniker. But the name doesn't matter nearly as much as the music, and the music here is quite good. GRUMPIC DISEASE play a style of melodeath with some metalcore influence (at least that's what the staccato, breakdown-y verse riff in "E.B.O.H.A" suggests to me). They have a knack for writing catchy melodies to go on top of these riffs, and the serene, synthlike tone of the lead guitar helps them to stand out. Oftentimes these parts sound inspired by the neoclassical guitar revolution, like the pedal-tone sections in "E.B.O.H.A" or the arpeggios in "Plague". The album was mixed and mastered by Deprimoon Studios.

The band shows a bit more of their musical wellspring as the album continues; "Plague" sees them using more classic MELODIC DEATH METAL riffs in the vein of ARCH ENEMY or AMON AMARTH, with lyrical melodies aligned more closely with the former. The song cuts out around a minute and a half before the end of its runtime and fades away amidst atmospheric held chords and sparse percussion, which segues nicely into the brisker, uplifting tremolo-picked melodies of "Illicit Sylvan". Another excellent candidate for 'titles that make you Google stuff', this is one of the top tracks on the album for sure. There is never a boring moment as the guitars always weave constantly changing melodies for the length of the song. Similarly to "Plague", there is a little break after which the song shifts character, becoming more groove-oriented and staying so until the end.

After "Illicit Sylvan" the album falters a little bit. "Athanato", which follows it, is mostly forgettable, with none of the neoclassical melodies present elsewhere. These are where the band shines the most, as the riffing, while satisfying enough, is a little generic. "Alter'o Form" brings them back a little bit but rather than a consistent presence, they are concentrated in a few short bursts. The song tapers off into a lurching, slow fade, which leads into the exactly two minute long buildup on "Scoundrels". Once "Scoundrels" gets off the ground, it reveals itself to be the counterpart to "Illicit Sylvan"-whereas that song had the most interesting melodies of any song on the album, "Scoundrels" has the best rhythm parts. The galloping thrash-inspired riff at the beginning was a joy to hear.

As if there needed to be more evidence that melodic acumen is where the band shines, "Fernweh" starts with around 30 seconds of majestic piano that sounds like it was written for the concert hall, and when it comes back in two minutes later, that signals the most exciting moment of the song-which is the pedal tone riff in the middle. "Breathing Infinity" also starts with a calmer acoustic intro before letting heavy tremolo-picked melodies (similar to those on "Illicit Sylvan") take over. "Breathing Infinity" closes out the album on a high note, bringing strong melodic ideas and fluid transitions between sections to the fore. Overall, GRUMPIC DISEASE haven't done a bad job but they should lean more into the neoclassical, intense melodies that make songs like "Illicit Sylvan" and "Plague" so good. And, with the exception of "Breathing Infinity", most of the transitions in feel (what I still refer to as "Master of Puppets" moments) are big buildups with small payouts, or feel forced.