INHUMED is a Melodic Death Metal band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Formed in 2016, this is the band's second album (and EP), and it has five songs. "The Ascent" is first. The beginning is full of a rich and scary atmosphere, along with creepy piano notes. It builds slowly, with layers of symphonics until the main riff drops, which is rigid and with rhythmic qualities. It segues into "Fed to the Skies," which has a blistering pace, akin to Thrash Metal, with Death Metal vocals. The amount of skill it takes pull off the guitar work is not going unnoticed, although the leads don't always follow the melody.

"A Defiance of Faith" is another fast-moving song with a steady pace of quad time on the kick drum. From there, is has a combination of Thrash and Death Metal, with some other helpings thrown in every now and again. "Vengeance on a God King" features a cool drum intro before the sound kicks in, with audible bass notes and near guttural vocals. The guitar work is mostly responsible for the sound on the album, but the bassist holds his own as well. That instrumental interlude brings out a bit of the band's prowess as well. More of those closing piano tones are welcomed.

"Exhibitions of Beauty" closes the album. It has a fairly traditional sound, without much experimentation. But again, the ending dissonant strings are a welcomed addition to their sound. Overall, this was a good album, but could have been better, if the band took some more chances. Talent is not the issue, so let's just discard that. They have the "death" side of the genre down better than the "melody" side, however. Many of their peers have proven that you can have both. I love some of the different touches they put on the EP, like piano and other instruments, and would like to hear more of that in the future.