Hailing from Belgium, Black Metal band LVTHN formed in 2013. This is the second full-length release, and it has seven songs. “A Malignant Encounter – The Servant” is first. A dark and aggressive sound roars out of the gate, with vocal screams, and a veritable wall of rhythm guitars. The dark sound is so thick, it chokes the listener like poison gas, and in addition to bouts of deep anger, there are also moments of despair. “A Malignant Encounter – The Master” is another heavily aggressive song with more darkness. The drums and the guitars keep an impossible pace, and the vocals back up the rage with inflections of absolute torture. “Cacodaemon” is another song that goes straight for your throat…like a rabid dog. The band manages to dial up the intensity even more, and the rhythm section holds everything together like a glue that dries quickly.

“Sum Quod Eris” is another absolute burner, and it burns so hot, it leaves a trail of smoke behind. The music is dense, dissonant, and dark, and the vocal screams elevate the track even further. “Grim Vengeance” hears the intensity stay at a high level, and the band steps on the gas pedal and doesn’t let up. This level can sometimes be confused for chaos, but make no mistake, each step is calculated. “Mother of Abominations” is the sixth straight burner will little to know variation. The band keeps their eye on the end goal here, which is rage and intensity. Although this song does have a slower pace at times, it is still a rager in every sense of that word. The title track is the final offering, and it features some deception and some derangement along with the fierce anger.

Besides the artwork, which is fucking awesome by the way, the album has a lot to offer fans of Black Metal. It’s an intense, dark journey into the dark recesses of your mind…to the areas you often keep locked away, and for good reason. Once they are visited, they are unlocked, and will haunt you in your dreams for eternity. Torture is their name.