TBDM continue to step up their game. This is top-notch melodeath with balls in the tradition of The Crown and At the Gates. All the familiar elements from past albums are there but even faster and harder-hitting. "Receipt" is one of the best songs TBDM have done and it's only the start.

"Dear mother and father
Now look what you've made:
More eager fodder for the depths of the grave"

Naturalistic black metal that demonstrates an impressive degree of compositional confidence and control of dynamics, concept, and flow, resulting in a rich and immersive album with a lot of depth. A remarkable accomplishment by anyone, even more so when it's the solo debut of an 18 year old Minnesotan. I look forward to hearing more from this project.

Six years later and this is still one of the best progressive black metal albums ever conceived. Effortlessly careens between bone-crushing aggression, lurking atmospherics and surprising moments of elegant tranquility. This is what Tool would sound like if they had been weaned on Norwegian black metal, burnt churches, and booze. Hemingway would be proud of (and probably get really fucked up to) this.

Masterful and aptly titled funeral doom, capable of crawling tectonic heaviness and sections of achingly beautiful despair. I'm in love with those mournful wailing clean vocals, particularly in the trudging opener Bails (of Flesh), where they shine through the gloom like a glimpse of reflected sunlight before being submerged once more in the stygian depths. I've nursed a crippling addiction to this album since I first heard it, and it doesn't seem like it'll go away anytime soon. Highly recommended.

I never thought I'd be able to get into the whole "solo female singer/songwriter" thing, but Ms. Wolfe seems devoted to defying expectations. This album starts off with more traditional (albeit brooding and subdued) guitar based material like "Mer" and the enchanting "Tracks (Tall Bodies)" before subtly shifting into haunting soundscapes with "Movie Screen" and "The Wasteland", all while maintaining a remarkably natural flow. This is a bit off the beaten path for me, but the eerie atmosphere makes me feel right at home and ensures it's a most welcome detour that I look forward to taking again and again.

A beautifully twisted work of art the likes of which the genre has seldom seen. I never much cared for grind before this album, and to be honest I still don't all that much. But I always try and give it a chance now, based purely on how blown away I am every time I listen to this album. The high water mark for the style: musically, lyrically, riff-ically.

Indispensable progressive death metal. Tight songwriting and powerful hooks meet crushing riffs and an avalanche of precision drumming. The full-length that followed was good, but this is phenomenal. Believe the hype.

The first time I listened to this I thought it was well done but not really my thing. The second time I thought, "Well, it's a nice palette cleanser between the raw black metal I've been overdosing on lately." By the fifth time I realised I really, really like this album. Refreshing and unconventional in the best possible way.

The most vital and potent black metal record I've heard in years. An entirely genuine outpouring of the darkest human emotions, delivered via infectious tremolo riffs, captivating dynamics, haunting production and one of the most varied and disturbing vocal performances the genre has yet seen. So many BM bands feel like they're simply going through the motions, but Wrest sounds truly inspired here. The word "masterpiece" is thrown around far too easily, but this record is worthy of it. Essential.