PITCH BLACK MENTALITY hailing from Bergen, Norway were formed in 2011 by guitarist Frank Nåtas. The Thrash Metal outfit release their second full-length album after the debut in 2013. The music of "World Final Wake" has been written between 2015 and 2020, the album was mixed by Ricardo Borges (AMORPHIS, AT THE GATES) and mastered by Tony Lindgren (AMORPHIS, ANGRA; DIMMU BORGIR) at Swedish Fascination Street Studios. "World Final Wake" has a length of almost 54 minutes and it is an independent release.

The album starts with a lengthy instrumental part of the guitars, bass, and drums at mid-tempo, before it transitions into a verse part with heavy riffing and crushing baselines. The riffing and the melodies have some catchy features. The vocals are harsh and are around the medium end of the vocal range, with some higher notes and a few growls included. With about six minutes playing time, the opening track is fairly long, and lacks a bit aggression and dynamics. "Fortress" is the official video release and the YouTube link is given below. "Dahaka" starts with powerful riffing and a lot of oriental vibes. The tempo is faster compared to the opening track with tight riffing during the verse parts and a lot of double-bass drumming at a galloping rhythm. The melodies are mainly driven by the lead guitars. There are a few tempo switches towards mid-tempo and the break starts with a slow part introduced by the guitars. Highlight of the song is the lead guitar solo. "Dahaka" is with more than eight minutes the longest track on the album, and for me one of the album highlights.

"True Parasites" starts slow with the acoustic guitars and then transitions into a mid-track with catchy melodies and epic chorus lines. The verse parts have a lot of twists in rhythm including a short part at high pace driven by the double-bass drumming. The break during the middle part of the track goes back to the beginning with the acoustic guitars, but quickly goes back to its mid-tempo rhythm for the extended lead guitar solo. "True Parasites" is a potential fan favorite; however, it would have benefitted from tightening up as there are a few repeats extending the track to almost seven minutes. "Eternal Night" is one of the faster and one of the heaviest tracks on the album. The guitar riffing is tight and the bass lines and crunching, in particular during the verse parts. The break is introduced by a short slow part but returns to its base pace for the lead guitar solo. Despite all its heaviness, there are a few instances where aggression is eased off a bit and that is unfortunate. "Fear The Rising Sun" starts as a ballad. It is in principle a slow song, even though the chorus parts lean towards mid-tempo. The song has epic and almost melancholic melodies, and the sound of the song perfectly fits towards the strengths of vocalist Tore Christer Storlid. As the song goes on, "Fear The Rising Sun" seamlessly transitions into mid-tempo for the lead guitar solo. Towards the end it goes back to the beginning in terms of melodies and tempo. Once again, there is a lot of unnecessary repetition with the chorus vocal lines and that takes away the focus of the listener.

 "Legacy" is a mid-tempo song with powerful riffing and melodies that sound in parts IRON MAIDEN inspired. There are, once again, Middle Eastern vibes written all over the track in particular during the break for the lead guitar solo. The comprehensive lead guitar solo is the highlight of the track. As noted, many of the tracks on the album suffer from an extended playing time, in "Legacy" however, the six minutes length is fully used to create a great sound. It is one of my favorites on the album. "All Wither In Autumn" starts slow with epic melodies driven by the guitars and then transitions into a mid-tempo song. As for all songs on the album, there are twists and at times subtle changes to the rhythm and tempo. The melodic framework of the track is maintained throughout the song, and also the lead guitar solo transitions, after a direct part, back into the initial melodies. "The Wall" cannot really keep up with most songs on the album. The title song is the final song on the album. "World Final Wake" starts powerful and aggressive with tight riffing and plenty of double-bass drumming. It is a mid-tempo track, and it includes some complexity in the song structure. The track is largely driven by the guitars and the drumming with the extended lead guitar solo being the highlight of the song. It is one of the heaviest tracks on the album and a good way to end the album.

PITCH BLACK MENTALITY deliver an album with light and shadows. Despite being a Thrash Metal album, it often lacks aggression and directness. Some of the songs are overly long and repetitive, the songwriting seems to be unfinished at times, and a few songs lack cohesion. Highlight are the lead guitar parts and the solos. The drumming on the album is very comprehensive. The album is well produced. "World Final Wake" has surely its moments, but it does not offer something unique and is lacking the cutting edge. It is an album for Thrash Metal fans and surely some of them will dig "World Final Wake".