My lord this album is fantastic. My optimism was rewarded despite the downcast hopes set by "Lycanthropic Tales" when it was released during the summer. The first couple tracks seemed to confirm those predictions, but then comes the opus "Infernal Phantom Kingdom" and my jaw just drops. From that song, the rest of the album simply soars over all my expectations. The synth-work is a bit buried but where its used, its just glorious.
The best part of this album is how they seemed to incorporate little elements from each of their previous albums, from the mournful chimes of Moon in the Scorpio, the choral intros of In Abhorrence Dementia (just listen to "Twilight Omen", then "Abyssmal Necromancy comes to mind), to the majesty of Ad Noctum, and as expected, the relentless ferocity of The Ultimate Death Worship. Certainly this album is aptly titled.
Indeed, this is a big step up from their previous album, and is well on par with the rest of their discography. Those years of hibernation paid off and refreshed these two musicians' creative integrity and they penned another masterpiece of symphonic black metal art. Bravo, Limbonic Art, now tour the U.S. for Christ's sakes!