Something good has been brewing in the Portland Metal scene, something called PATH TO RUIN. The band has been working hard since 2009 playing many live shows, and going through a few line-up changes. But now, after 6 years of patience and practice, the band has released their debut, self-titled album. The way the album starts out slightly confused me at first. The vocals didn't seem to match up with the instruments at all, but as the song progresses they seem to sync up more and more. It's like a weird musical puzzle that really jars you for a moment. That sort of disjointed melody pops up throughout the album bringing in a sense of unease and keeps each track surprising. It makes each track unique and keeps the album from getting stagnant, which is great considering that each song (excluding the first track) is well over two minutes with the longest clocking 8:18.

I would describe PATH TO RUIN as Grindy-Thrashy-Black Metal with a pinch of Math-Rock, the 'disjointedness' mentioned earlier is carefully crafted, PATH TO RUIN are a group of talented composers and I'm glad they choose to play Metal. For an example of PATH TO RUIN's talent and attention to detail you can listen to "Punishment (Whispers Of Woe)". The track  reminds me of a classical dance like a waltz, well okay, I think it's a waltz, don't trust my music theory knowledge, it's just pretty and I want to dance to it. Other tracks like "Stitched Shut" and "Distorted Clarity" also have the same dance-able time-signatures melded within the hard, ripping riffs. Personally, I see no problem with going from a one-two-step dance to thrashing around like an electrocuted ape in an instant, it's how the gods intended us to listen to Metal. PATH TO RUIN has made one hell of a debut album, and they show no signs of running out of steam anytime soon., I'll definitely be looking out for more of them in the years to come.