LAGO is an Arizona-based four piece death metal band that specializes in savage brutality and atmosphere. The group has one other full length under their belt, "Tyranny," and after a split and a demo, the quartet headed back to the studio to record their sophomore album, "Sea of Duress." The 45 minute beatdown starts immediately with dissonant chords, slowly building into full blown assault of blasts. "Day of Wrath," even with its low growls, calls to mind giants like ORIGIN, as the band prepares to make their mark in the brutal death metal scene. "A Broken Barrier" was the first song teased for the album, and for good reason: the five minute belt of dissonance and overall claustrophobia, shifting tempos that transition so well, the track could easily hold up as the title song.

The offensive continues on "Sepulcher," the band leaving no time for the battered listener to recover. Track three is a shining example of how this group never spends too long on each passage, which is something that makes this particular genre all the more satisfying. The song ends on a very sinister note, foreshadowing the impending doom. "Dead Sun" and "Soiled is the Crown" are both very diverse tracks with just enough discordance to compare them to CEPHALIC CARNAGE. "Haze" opens with a truly tormenting groove that evolves quickly into frantic blasts and machine gun bass drumming. The song ends with a thrashy solo, further proving the four piece is not interested in boring the listener. The penultimate track, "Effigy" slows things down briefly, bringing on some very bleak atmosphere. The brutality is relentless well into the end of the album: "Providence," an eight minute, slowburning slam of doomy riffage and utter dissonance. The song dips a couple times, making you think a soft interlude is coming, only to punch you in the face with more blasts.

"Sea of Duress" is an album that definitely should not be missed for anyone in need of a heaping dose of brutality. It's a completely solid recording, and I expect to hear from LAGO again soon.