Maybe all that was needed was a bit of soul searching; a long hiatus can do that to a band. However, it is positive that the influence of a break might not do well to all the bands out there. For the Hungarian NEEDLESS it took a decade to harness their creative minds, get back on their feet and unleash a new EP. It is unknown to me if "The Dark Spirit of Ages" is a spawn of years of work or merely a sheer excitement of getting back in the fold. Whether it is the first or second option, it didn't interfere NEEDLESS to come up with a promise for the next decade, hopefully without going dark once more.

"The Dark Spirit of Ages" made me notice of fresh infestation of the later period of DEATH into Bay Area oriented Thrash Metal that resembled of the 00's of EXODUS or going European with late 90's of THE HAUNTED. Though not as artistically technical as the former's late 90's era, NEEDLESS convinced with their articulate vision in their music. All around there is a scattering of colorful melodic signatures on top of assorted types of riffery in an impressive quality, delivered energetic Thrash fumes comprised of multiverse rhythms inserting some spice into cross subgenre mixture. Furthermore, there is this enchanting dark halo of blackened features, Black Metal oriented, which also indicates on some of the vocal lines, but more of the overall vibe that it generates, pretty impressive.

On the other hand, I got lost in the woods at times while listening. The songwriting appeared to be well thought, as well as the lyrics which are high up on the scale, but often the songs sounded endless, way too limitless from my end, like stepping into a thick mud pit. "Deceit" and the self-titled closer are great works of a well-produced hybrid. The production itself is top notch, felt larger than life when it comes to extreme Metal. In overall, I hope this is not another sign of letting go by this band and a full length is in order and fast please.