Experimental Noise Rock mystics - what does that sentence mean? It's something that I had to come up with to describe LOCRIAN's genre - and I admit it was a bit of a challenge. I was initially dumbfounded with the release: it's not a Metal record. But despite every hesitation I had and every wrinkle on my forehead I formed from trying to write a proper review for a record that is simply too hard to describe with words, my admiration, respect, and keenness for LOCRIAN's music, along with the inspiring atmosphere they conjured, gave me just the lift I needed - as I expect it will for all its listeners.

First off, "Eternal Return" is one hell of an opening song. It's the Goosebumps-inducing type, the impression-setter, and the album-definer. Its ethereal feel coupled with its subtle darkness make for a highly colourful song that is as diverse in musical direction as it is in symbolism and interpretation. "A Visitation from the Wrath of Heaven" is a beautiful song. It starts out slow, floating, and majestic in a very quiet and natural way, thundering on later to a chorus that is full of emotion - much more than you'd expect from simple guitars banging away at the same chords - but it works its magic. It could not be more aptly named, as it really felt like I was listening to the wrath of heaven - a paradox that provides for mind-bending imagery.

The folksy path of "Two Moons" had a calming effect that was almost inhuman, coupled with a bass line that was bordering on a dub-step vibe. The general mood of the song is trippy, and it is one of the slower songs, but the musicians do not let timing hold them back. They manage to impress even with the limiting boundary of timing. The bass and synthesizers work incredibly well together and in all honesty, I have not heard such peace in bass before. Yes, the word is peace, and bass usually commands words like groove, rhythm, Jazz, and timing - but here, it is peace. Pure SIGUR ROS quality here, except with less vocals and darker atmospheres. I saw SIGUR ROS live once, and it's one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. As a Metalhead, I'm used to mosh pits and hollering crowds, rowdy venues and loudness... I was apprehensive to go see SIGUR ROS as I wouldn't enjoy it. But I had the most enlightening period of peace that night - and LOCRIAN managed to recreate that atmosphere even without a live show.

The title track was significantly darker and more brooding than the previous tracks, drawing listeners back into themselves - where the mind becomes an enclave of visuals, sounds, and emotions. And all throughout this fairytale ordeal, the synthesized bass continue its subtle work. And that my friends, is LOCRIAN'S greatest talent - understatement. They are so simple yet so musically full, so thin on technicality yet so complex: they say everything by understating everything. André Foisy's agonised screams dot the tracks here and there - connecting the listener to the band in a surreal way, where you don't even know what they look like but seem to know their pained thoughts, crippling aloneness and shattering breakdowns.

It's a mighty thing, to have the power to draw your audience into that vacuum of thought. With simple background noise and a few notes on the guitar they can conjure an image, one of those images that are unassuming at first but speak a thousand words when examined. For instance, "Exiting the Hall of Vapor and Light", being one of the more "empty" songs in terms of instrumental parts, was still immensely heavy. Its mass carried the weight of human emotion, leaving the listener to interpret the title of the song themselves and how it applies to their current state of mind.

The last song, "Obsolete Elegies", a fifteen-minute story in its own, combined all the elements of the previous songs and made it one hell of an album closer. It truly was an elegy - a sending off for all the emotions LOCRIAN had induced with their music. This album speaks volumes, and it is musicians such as those in LOCRIAN who have kept music relevant by their constant strive to make emotion an aspect of quality music. Understatement is incredibly hard to achieve, like Charlize Theron on the red carpet with her simple yet elegant dresses - hard to pull off simply because of how bare you make yourself. LOCRIAN do not do up themselves and throw in any gimmicks, they give the listener what they have and want you to walk away with an understanding. And the understanding I got was this: LOCRIAN is amazing. An advice to listeners: turn the volume way, way up. There's nothing like it.