From Bandcamp, “Born from the power of metal and the immersive shades of ambient music combined, SEPTARIA elaborates a post metal style seizing in a sensitive way the duality of human experience. With aggressive and melodic shifts, the band tracks the internal cathartic pathway leading from suffering to peace and contrast the body’s raw energies against the mind’s subtle elaborations.” The album has 12 songs. “Present moment” is first. It enters gently, and melodically, with clean guitars, and then the brunt of the sound hits. The guitars are distorted but still carry much of the same melody, and the vocals are harsh and even guttural at times. The song shifts quickly and without warning in and out of these passages.

“Centaur” begins with a hard staccato attack in the guitars, which grows angrier as it move. Some nice melodies escape close to the half-way mark, and then the anger returns. The juxtaposition of these competing elements definitely keeps the listener on their toes, and you never know what may be around the corner. “Psyche” comes at you more calmly, but the tension behind it is high. For me, it’s like a person who is normally even-keeled that becomes unraveled with sudden bouts of rage.  “Abyss” is a slow building instrumental, with a good deal of tension. It comes at you calmly, but also with a knife hidden behind its back. The knife is revealed and a stabbing spree follows. The killer retreats as quickly as he pulled the knife. The title track has low vocals and hushed tones that being to creep up on you until screams follow with a hardened backbone of music. “Persephone” is another shorter song that features clean guitar tones and bit of a groove that will have you nodding along. The band really has a way with melody, in addition to aggressiveness.

“Being” is a firmer offering. The harsh vocals are very guttural and there is an explosion of sound, but it is not done without melody. They build tension so very well. “Embers” is somewhat sad, but also angry at times, and the strong dichotomy continues. The melody is equally as strong as the fire here. “Sky’s Words” might be the song that gave me the most reason to think. It’s a fascinating combination of contentiousness and grace, and the tension bubbles hard beneath the surface. “Psithurism” closes the album, and it doesn’t solve the puzzle unfortunately, it just adds another layer of puzzlement which, I find odd, but also there is a solace in not knowing all of the answers. Overall, the album is a reflection of the human condition—how we constantly oscillate between moments of hope and despair, clarity and confusion. The shifts in tone and texture make for an intense, immersive experience that keeps the listener on edge, never fully sure whether the next moment will bring light or darkness. It’s an album that resonates deeply, exploring the beauty in contrast and the emotional power that lies in the tension between opposing forces.