In many ways, “Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants” is a natural continuation of the band’s debut album. Familiar elements - pure & proud Black Metal, done with personality and charisma – are recast in more varied ways. The production across the album is a bit more airy compared to that debut, but still far from overly polished. Likewise, overt aggression is dialed down a bit to make room for more epic passages, where acoustic guitar gives support to powerful clean vocals. As no doubt presaged by the album's title, lyrical themes here deal with nature mysticism, atavism, and specifically slash-and-burn as a metaphor of personal growth unburdened by the past.

 “Ancient Graves” is first. The opening tones are clean and somber, and then, all the sudden, a bomb goes off and in come a thick, raging Black Metal sound. The vocal screams sound like torture to me, and there is a bit of an amateur quality to the music. “Beneath the Dying Tower” picks up where the former track left off, but this time, the vocals are more guttural and dangerous. The rest of the instruments build a thick and overgrown sound, but the bass stands out a bit, which is unusual for Black Metal. “Night Burns Through” has tortured screams that sound like a blood bath is playing out. At times, it sound like the victim is fighting back, but against this much evil, there can be no victor.

 “Halls of Idle Breath” features thick and heavy bass notes, as well as some vocal harmonies at time, although the song is filthy dirty. The short acoustical interlude titled “Among Ruins” connects to the final two tracks, and has a thunderstorm in the background. “Burial Fires” is a bit more depressing but anger still flows like water through the song, and once again, the vocals sound tortured. The pacing slows to some clean tones and the depression really come through. The title track closes the album. It begins with acoustic guitars before descending into pure madness, and the vocals are twisted and tortured once again.

Overall, this was a solid release. Many Black Metal bands can rely too much on the sounds of the past, but here, the band varies up their sound. At times depressing, and at other times angry, it paint the music in the same vein as the album title…despair, and death.