The short story of Rivers Ablaze is one of transformation, persistence, and determination. Márton Kertész, a "Budapesti" if you will, evolved Rivers Ablaze from a measly one-man band to a progressive Hungarian collective not to be messed in just six years. The collective dabbles in more than progressive metal - black, death, and even a little of the avant-garde culminate in their fifth full-length album, "Inexternal Dread," brought to us via Inertial Music. Despite their fairly recent signing, the band has already played in Hungarian music outlets and nerdily-titled "Progcamps," so they've clearly influenced the scene. Without further ado, Menjünk!

"Inexternal Dread" is a monolith of a musical roulette wheel. Rivers Ablaze are constantly implementing styles at random, from devilish OSBM introductions in "Silent Orbit" and "Carrion Throne (Where Silence Destroys)," to crushing death metal supported by deep gutturals in "Born from Flame." The black metal parts are way more common, so make sure to be in a slightly kvlty mood. Longer tracks, many of which cross the seven/eight-minute line, explore poignant, dissonant, and technical atmospheres that are constantly fluctuating in feel. I'll be undisturbed during a clean, vocal-laden acoustic passage, but biting melodic black metal will eventually come to kick my ass ("Death on Impact"). Hell, hardcore and alternative elements are sprinkled in from song to song. I adore the album's unorthodox take on structure, which in turn makes it a lengthy but rewarding listen. The shorter tracks ("Mirror Trap") are weaker due to their somewhat predictable nature - they're enjoyable but clear evidence that Rivers Ablaze works best with epic runtimes.

Shockingly, there are many important constants to the album. It wouldn't be the same without Rieckmann's inhuman drumming. Drumsticks tell campfire stories about the time he strolled into his local instrument store, and for good reason - the dude's ferocious. Equally as ferocious are Knapp's vocal chords which can adapt to virtually anything. He can maneuver between singing, growling, and screeching effortlessly, all of which are "easy" on the ears. The soaring guitars of Kertész and Ferenczi are always soloing or chugging along with Purnhauser's bass that I can ACTUALLY HEAR. While their music may be chaotic, the band proves its stability.

Szent szar! A fifty-two-minute mood swing from Rivers Ablaze is what I needed out of this week's past New Music Friday. "Inexternal Dread" is one of, if not the best, Hungarian metal albums. The blend of erratic brutality and instrumental efficiency is a force to be questioned, researched, and enjoyed. For such a big listen, an attention span of more than four seconds is required to get the most out of this release.