Unfortunately, I was not able to find any information about this band, anywhere on the internet. They have both a Bandcamp and a Facebook message, but there is no biographical data on either. The Metal Archives also does not have an entry for them. So, we are going to have to let the music do the talking. The album has eight songs, and “Infested” is first. It begins with a fairly typical Black Metal blueprint, but you can hear other elements in the mix. The short ambient interludes for example, and the audible bass notes, create a cold, sterile picture of life. “Dominion” uses subtle melodies amidst the vocals screams and gutturals at times to find a balance between aggression and despair, and the result is another world altogether. It’s one I would like to explore.

“Resolute” uses tension to tell the bleak story. There is just enough melody amidst the contentious sound. It bubbles up at times, just enough to cover the ground. Other times, it is drowned out by the jagged edges of anger and destitution. “Purified” begins with clean, somber tones…the kind that lift you up for a bit only to be shover back down to the ground and buried in the mud. “Adaptation” has very nice clean melodies, but they are blackened with the tortured vocals. The combination of these two things so far is fascinating and provides a contrast on the album that I long for. It comes to a chilling crescendo that is laded with emotion. “Erode” gives you that feeling that your entire life is headed down the drain, little by little, and there is no stopping the slide.

“Burden” has harder edges as the title suggests. We are have our burdens. For me, I will not name it, but I also refuse to give in to it. It’s more like a chain that hangs on my neck forever. It’s heavy enough to remind me that it is always there, but no so heavy that I can’t lift my head. “Sunlight” closes the album. There is a depth to this song that reminds me of the vastness of outer space. There is no limit to where it can go. Toying with alternating patterns of rage, torture, and numbness, it leaves me bewildered. The band achieves a real balance between hope, despair, anger, and desolation on “Succumb.” It’s the kind of album that lifts you up just enough to breath but then stifles you with thick, black smoke. You only get a fleeting sense of relief. This repeated pattern is one that you don’t even notice, because hope is such a strong feeling. Come and explore the many different layers of sound on the album and decide for yourself how it makes you feel.