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Six years after the rather poorly received Rise, we get the fifth full-length Icarus Witch album. With the departure of old singer Matt Bazilia, this band changed their sound irrevocably, but last time out they went too far into commercial territory. This album is miles better.

Rise singer Chris Shaner is gone, replaced by Andrew D'Cagna, known mostly for his one-man band Ironflame. D'Cagna has a clearer, less hard-rock sounding voice, and he brings some welcome classic metal feel back to this band. Stylistically, this is still the more cleaned up, catchy, more commercial sound they debuted on Rise, but this time the gloss is kept down to a manageable level, and there are some good songs on display here. "Misfortune Teller" is the kind of riff-intensive, chorus-driven metal you will get here. "Lightning Strikes" is definitely the hookiest song here, with a refrain you will never get out of your head. Overall the album is less commercial and more metal, with a heavier sound, better songs, and better vocals. This isn't the Icarus Witch of old, but it's still good.