By Rob Kachluba
Wow, what an absolute scorcher of an album this is after the so-so Kolossus release of a few years back. Opening track “Dragon Iconography” is a seven minute tour de force of blackened, riffed up darkened metal that will send chills down your spine. It contains plenty of awesome riffs played with a sense of urgency – I can’t remember an opening track that sounded so intense. The first part of the verse is played at a insane pace, followed by a mid-paced riff that is just pure genius. The rest of the album ain’t no slouch either. What I really like about this Reptilian album is the fact that they didn’t get too overly fancy or complex, they just went ahead and wrote a non-compromising album full of pure blackened intensity and atmosphere. Each song is like a mini epic with blasting parts, mid-paced thrashing and even some huge, slow orchestrated parts. This album will turn heads. One small complaint is the drums sound a bit sterile – especially in the faster kick-drum parts. I would love to see this performed live to see how the hell he’s going to reproduce it in action. A definite return to form.
(Nuclear Blast)
8.0
