✦✦✧✧ Doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom doom… Doom doom doom doom doomy doomy doom doomy doom doom doom doom doom doom doom.

✦✦✧✧ What starts as a moody, cocksure study in sludgy decay… slips sideways into a tendency toward gothiness. By the midpoint of the album, their transformation to a Deafheaven-inspired Type O Negative sound is complete.

✦✦✧✧ This is a marked improvement over the band’s last album, “Savage Gold.” It’s more mature, and the band are more self-assured in their exploration of black metal (laced with metalcore elements). And it’s heavy, thanks to a delightfully prominent bass. Worth a listen? Sure.

★☆☆☆ Boy is this ever sophomoric, even by doom metal’s standards. Small kudos for not being thoroughly unlistenable, piteous vocals notwitshanding… but this was a very long hour for me nevertheless.