From Bandcamp, “VESSELES is a Demon symphonic black metal solo project about dysphoria and coping with living in a world that you're not from.” The composer comments, “the culmination of creations of pain and release in one little EP has been a very cathartic release to work on. I’ve never written material so personal to me so putting this out feels like I’m essentially coming out as a demon to the world. It’s terrifying and freeing.”

“Suffocating Flesh” is the first cut. Charging out of the gates is a very aggressive and chaotic sound, along with some heavy dissonance. But at times, the dissonance is tempered with snippets of melody, including piano. The title track opens with a lot of tension centered around clean, solemn guitar tones. But when that riff enters, it’s like they broke the sound barrier. The symphonic elements are just enough to call supportive, but they don’t overtake the sound. Still, they add a lot to the palate. “Cathartic Cruelty” has a combination of contentious moments with tortured vocal screams and light, delicate piano notes. The contrast between these two things are what makes the album as good as it is so far.

“Wretched” is a shorter song featuring mostly piano notes, and they have as much thick tension as the morning fog. As it plays, you are constantly looking over your shoulder. “Vesseles Rituale” is just that…a harrowing ritual that could summon demons. The ritual continues without incident until the drop it sound after the half-way mark, when the evil becomes even stronger. As it races to completion, the things that are conjured appear, and it’s too much for human eyes to bear, as they are burnt out. “Dysphoria” closes the album, and it’s as if they have dialed the evil up to 11. The song is thick with backing elements as well as a strong foreground, and the power that they band commands here seems outer-worldly.

Let’s start with talking about how fantastic the album cover is…the demon woman, the logo, and the coloring are vibrant. The music is equally as compelling. Each track plunges the listener into a relentless cycle of anguish and torment, capturing the raw intensity and repetitive nature of suffering. This auditory journey immerses the listener in what seems like a real time experience, making the album a powerful exploration of relentless agony and torture.