Good work guys. I always look forward to your stuff. It's obvious you guys put a lot of effort into this one. I've only been able to listen to it a few times but my first impressions (just first impressions, take that as it is) are that it's a step below novella and Pale haunt but on equal footing with INRI. Surprisingly it isn't really comparable to the aforementioned albums but it just comes down to my personal preference. I do miss the acoustic breaks from Pale Haunt Departure at times.
Overall buried was the track that really impressed me the first time around. Awesome stuff, love the guitar mixed with bass to give it that same sort of feel as the intro to "in the absence of grace"(absolutely love that intro). That sort of sound just defines you guys in my eyes, as I've never heard anything like it elsewhere. The solo is up there with Novella Reservoir's. I'm not a solo kind of person, but Larry you sure do know how to do it with restraint. When I can hum the solo, you know you have a good melody in there. Six Sides was also a highlight of the album for me. What a riff, sounds really fun to play.
Come to think of it, the only gripes I would have so far are with "Harvest scythe" and "What Could Have Been". I'm a HUGE fan of ND's softer songs, but What Could Have Been really didn't do it for me. Just felt out of place from such a dark band. Even songs such as "Twilight Innocence" kept that ND feel. What Could Have Been just meandered despite great vocal performances. Obviously not everyone feels that way, and I applaud the effort towards something vastly different and unfamiliar for the band. As for Harvest Scythe, i just couldn't get into it, I don't even know why.
I'm glad you guys are progressing and that every album is so different. I hope no one is offended by anything I said. The listener doesn't always catch what the artist means to display. Just thought I'd share a mini-first impressions in here. This one could be a grower.
