PENETRUM was founded at the end of 2013. The musicians were inspired mostly by the Finnish Melodic Death Metal scene, but their music was also influenced by other various Metal subgenres like Black Metal, Folk Metal, Neo-Classic Metal, Viking Metal and Power Metal. "Instrument of Delusion" is the band's debut album, from Ukraine, and contains nine tracks.

"Winter Breath" opens the album. It has a bleak sound, and chord structures that remind me of older JUDAS PRIEST. It morphs pretty quickly however into a Melodic Death Metal sound, on the more aggressive side of the genre. No clean vocals here. "Into the Blizzard" has some running lead guitar notes and a bit of Folky opening sound. Some fretboard finger tapping adds a nice element to the song, which is a bit of an amalgam in terms of the style. "Blazing Souls" is a faster moving song with some notable energy. The vocals are relentless and do not pause for even a moment. "Crimson Forest" starts slowly and builds into a mid-tempo pace. The lead guitars keep a pretty constant presence in the song, and you can start to pick up on some of the Neo-Classical influence the band talked about in their bio.

"Blood Tastes Like Lead" is a near seven-minute song, featuring a softer entrance with some clean guitars and clean vocals. Though the cleans are a bit pitchy at times, you get the idea of the intent to deliver a melancholy sound. "Crash Syndrome," by contrast, is heavy and angry right from the start. The instrumentation here is pretty tight as well. Sulima works the drum kit with passion and a strong sense of timing. "Amok" opens with some melodic lead guitar, and harsh Death vocals. It settles quickly into a groove. Fury abounds, and you can definitely hear that Finnish influence in this song, especially in the Folky guitar elements, along with some NWOBHM melodies.

"Eternal Winter" is a cover of the band NORTHREND. It must be a favorite for the band, because it fits very well with the other songs on the album. Doleful at times and ripe at others, it reflects the subject of the song title. "Caprice of Delusion" closes the album. A Neo-Classical sound abounds in this instrumental. What the album probably does best is present a diversity of styles into the overarching umbrella of Melodic Death Metal. The band has an obvious wide array of influences and know how to work them into the music quite well. Sometimes you hear NWOBHM harmonies, other times some Folk and Power Metal support, and other times a more traditional Melodic Death sound. I think they have a good deal of potential, but they just haven't quite actualized it here in their debut.