From Bandcamp, “VORTEX is a Symphonic Death Metal band from Quebec, Canada and is comprised of seasoned musicians with an abundance of studio and live experience. Their masterful lyric writing is equally matched with their prowess in devising riffs, and orchestrations. Their music is filled with heavy riffing and melodies, technical vocals, and epic soloing. They will transport the listener into a new world.” The album has four songs, and “When Humans Defy the Void” is first. It storms out of the gate with filth, darkness, and aggression, and symphonic instruments can be heard in the background. The vocals vary from deep gutturals, to high pitched screams, and the band plays some of the riffs on a classical scale.

“Haunting the Abyss” features screamed vocals out of the gate, along with a thick background of blast beat drums, riffs, and low brass. There are some depressive elements mixed into the firm and hardened sound, but the grandiosity of the song can’t be underscored. “Ripping the Threads of Reality” has some piano in the beginning, but the transition to hardened Death Metal happens pretty quickly. One thing that the band is good as so far is letting some of the firmness of the compositions breathe just enough for the listener. “Where Wonders Dwell” is the final track on the EP, and it features with clean, somber female vocal harmonies. They augment the music with melancholy tones.

Overall, this was an excellent album within the Symphonic Death Metal genre. The production was excellent, and the band didn’t fall into the trap of pushing four identical songs for the listener, but rather they varied the presentations. There is plenty of brutality, no doubt about that, and they could plow through your worst nightmare. But the band chose to do things with taste.