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I have been a fan of Martriden since their debut EP a decade ago, and every album since then has seen them develop and expand their sound, becoming more complex, more technical, but also heavier and fiercer with each incarnation. This was a band that was able to add shade and depth to their music without losing aggression, and that's why I am so disappointed that they have stopped doing that.

Martriden have always been a bit experimental, but here they have gone over the edge and just started sounding like modern Cynic. Now, I know I am often in the minority when I say that Cynic are garbage and their jazz/prog bullshit must not be tolerated, but I am going to say it again. Martriden have fallen into making diddly instrumental passages and clean-sung parts that are rather nice, but go on too long and are at odds with the hard-edged metal they used to play. As a result, even the metal here has been throttled back, with the guitar sound smoothed out and softened, and the growls few and far between. The janky, jerky songwriting here just does not hold up, sounding like a band much more interested in jerking off to Traced In Air than in doing anything interesting.

So, a boring, annoying work from a band who have been really good up until now. Your capacity to enjoy this will depend pretty much on how much of a lady boner you get from Cynic's recent works. Otherwise avoid.