A dark, unforgiving and claustrophobic record that draws deep on miserable nihilism. It is gnarly and inaccessible, and it reveals that impenetrability. It is protective of its spoils and wraps its songs up in random noises and coarse aesthetics. However, if you persevere, this is nothing short of a life-changing record. It is intense and relentlessly brutal, but there is beauty and affirmation to be found both in its core and its closing numbers. It's not a passive background listen. It is an album that demands attention and multiple listens, but for those who stick with it is an extraordinary reinvention of metal’s many identities. Simply astonishing in its depth and variety, but not in any way an easy listen.

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