I think this might be the best work from this project to date--which is a pretty towering achievement given TROB's heavy hitting discography. From the opening track you are shoved headfirst into a swirling mire of black metal psychedelia, and from track to track this stranglehold doesn't let up. There are a lot of sounds, textures and melodies that are entirely unique to the BM genre, and yet the record compromises none of it's darkness or weight. It's balance of light and dark, soft and harsh are often swirled together simultaneously into a single wall of sound. This gives it a very fever dream feel, as if you're traversing through the thick of an ayahuasca trip--which given the shamanistic album art I imagine this is intentional. I've yet to really 'figure out' the structures of these six tracks, but generally they seem to alternate seamlessly from fiery black metal dirges to dense plumes of hypnotic sound, and the lack of traditional song structure really compliments the murky and overwhelming atmosphere of the album. It's a really compelling listen with a ton of replay value and a lot to wrap your head around. Highly recommended.
