The Ego, the self and the sole, that which retains individualism beyond all impunity and incredulity, the benefactor and progenitor of solipsism, and the eye of the storm amidst the tumult of our world. Such strengths are the key to both resolve and strength when one comes to rely on themselves more so than anyone else, and one such entity whose capabilities are evident of such is, PILLORY, a one man band who just delivered their third full-length installment entitled, Scourge Upon Humanity.

The song opens on deep staccato noise much like the kick to an electric drum set out of sequence or noise coming from a dying line all of which is soon replaced by the growing dissonance and disharmony that is, "Depeleted Mortal Prosperity," whose stereophonic progression relies on harsh and jarring conflicts that merge into a central-dissonant-riff to provide emphasis for the rest of the band. "Diluted Existence" commences immediately with no bleed from its predecessor much less time to recover from it; the stereophonic divisi riffs are less evident in this song however still play a key role in separating the guitar tracks from one another; the lack of resolve can be quite maddening at times, though I'm near certain that was the intent in construction.

"Emanate Deprecation" is segued directly from the preceding track which lends its focus from music to that of jarring noise and much like dark b-roll from a Slasher film it sets the tone of the song to that of dismal and dreary; the 11 and a half minute long song goes through a story arc of anger, triumph, and disdain ending on abandon which fuels "Inherit Genetic Collapse." The over saturated use of flattened fifth chords that naturally conflict with one another without the internal disharmony is as dastardly as it is noticeable preoccupying the bulk of the song as a whole setting a mood of unease and insecurity as a listener. "Envisage Transmutation" begins with warm synth and a progression which sounds as a minor take on MOZART'S "Sonata No. 16 KV 545" that eventually progresses to the incorporation of an accented piano and a chamber chorus which is met with a sudden shift in the strings the pairing of percussion, bass, and overdriven guitars returns the song to the Brutal theming of the album.

The instrumentation of the album is arranged quite well between alignment and the overall mixing of tracks, the bulbous sound of the toms and kick are a little jarring but completely offset by the fact that the entirety of the album was made by one person. As a whole Scourge Upon Humanity is a beast of an album coming in at 63 minutes with little pause to be found anywhere within the whole of the collection of songs. The feats of an individually are quite astounding and serve to illustrate the power of the self. For anyone looking for a self-contained experience this album is a must.