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Atmosphere.  Not the thing that maintains life on the planet, no the dense and omnipotent presence that exists on this record is a thing of beauty and horror at the same time.  The ritual emanations of opening track (proper) "Epistemology of Death" spread themselves wraith like around you but never overwhelm you as a listener, choosing instead to tease you and encircle your peripheral vision as if some cold promise to the potential they have. The structure present on "Circumambulating the Stillborn" is extraordinary.  Delivering the extreme and melodic capabilities of the band perfectly over the largely lengthy running times.  The title track is a perfect example of this yet manages to deliver in just over five minutes.  Five minutes of well balanced and intelligently delivered BM that holds the attention so well you could be forgiven it is twice the actual length. I remember the bands demo "Demo MMXIV" from May of last year, I jumped in for a purchase

Yes, two posts on the same day - we will sleep well tonight in the realm of Eminent Silence - but both for a good cause after two of my favourite bands both dropped third releases within weeks of each other.  After the thoroughly entertaining "Hole Below" from Vastum earlier on today I move on now to the latest offering from Black Breath. Upon reading the press gubbins and various comments/reviews online you could be forgiven for thinking that Black Breath have evolved into an Entombed clone. They have effectively and efficiently ripped off their old skin and left us with a more grotesque, rotting corpse of PURE filthy Death Metal. Bid farewell to any good time hardcore, punk or retro thrash vibes Whatever HC lineage this band may have had has been totally eradicated. This is 100% pure old school death metal with that classic Swedish sound. Thankfully this is only partially true, I sat for three tracks to see how dramatic a change the sound was from "Sentenced To

Ever eat a really good meal and then belch loudly whilst patting your bloated stomach with a pacified grin on your face?  Ever had a post-coital cigarette that soothes you that bit more as your testicles shrink back to their normal size?  Or have you ever watched a really good movie and been able to feel really satisfied with the outcome or ending, knowing that during the course of the film all boxes have been ticked and your expectations fully met? That's how "Hole Below" leaves me feeling after each listen.  It is a bizarre state of feeling content that fills me post spinning of the US Death Metal freak's third opus.  The contents of the six tracks on offer here are every bit as ghastly and ugly as I expected them to be and although there's little in the way of twists and turns along the way there isn't any need for anything other than the visceral assault with which Vastum deliver their punishing style of death metal. I enjoyed "Patricidal Lus