Now in their fifth year, OFFENSIVE, has managed their second full-length album entitled "Inhabitants Of Purgatory", a feature length musical opus revolving around themes of fantasy and mythology. Before even listening to any of the music the most shocking part of this album is the overall length, a single CD comprised of 1 hour and 12 minutes worth of recorded music.

The album begins plainly on a slow riff within the song "King Of The Underworld", yet speeds up and presents some variances before the verse begins near the 2-minute mark. "Tales Of A Fallen", has a verse which commences far more quickly than its predecessor along with a vocal motif that itself is repeated throughout the entirety of the song in a multitude of ways having the phrase "and that dark thing looked like me" alluded to or flat out repeated often. "Azrael's Reaping" begins with an eldritch guitar riff, spoken monologue, and a bass that joins just before the vocalizations pick up, overall the intro has an odd air about it making me think of "Summer Breeze", by SEALS & CROFT. All in all, the song has a great build up and is probably the strongest song on the album just due to its unique construction.

"All Hell Breaks Loose" kicks off without any warning or prelude; the solo is more than likely the most interesting one on the album despite its simple construction, its strong enough to stand out as eerie and weird in a song made to sound eerie. "Wake Up The Darkness" begins with a plethora of radio static joined by an out-of-place nylon string guitar just before the actual song comes in with a fade-in from the guitar. The break of the song features the acoustic progression with the radio static once again yet incorporates the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme" from the original 1987 cartoon, the Spanish progression from "Spanish Caravan" by THE DOORS, "The Terminator Theme" as well as a slew of others.

The guitars are crispy, crunchy, and caustic a perfect blend for the weird and abstract themes circulating in every composition, they never manage to be too overpowering or too absent from the mix such that it becomes difficult to discern whether the songs were built around the guitars or the guitars around the songs. The bass is a bit muddied but powerful nonetheless. The drums are relentless and strike with force and determination.

"Inhabitants Of Purgatory" is an interesting piece featuring branching and experimental constructions within each song, a stark defining factor that might draw in listeners as lifelong fans or completely deject other people. With the album being 72 minutes in length I have to wonder why another two songs weren't written to be included in the roster to release as a double album, but perhaps it's all just a matter of artistic integrity.