‘Prophet’ is an appropriate mix of funeral and guitar driven pomp for an opener. Would be at home on any of the post-Messiah Marcolin discs. In a nod to their own mortality (musical or otherwise), the last thing heard is the solitary ticking of a clock, to close out ‘Black As Time’, a voiceover filled rumbler that decries the negativity of passing years: mentally, spiritually and, of course, physically. Speaking of black, ‘The Sound Of Dying Demons’ begins with a paean to early 70s Sabbath, slow and sludgey, ultimately rising from the mire on a dual guitar outburst, before returning to the quicksand. Apart from a swath of guitar, ‘Waterwitch’ is a glorious funeral dirge, start to finish. No real elaborate constructions this time around, the nine cuts lasting 52 minutes, the aforementioned ‘Waterwitch’ being the distance champ at a (relatively) conservative 7:03.
Unlike the previous Rob Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus) era releases, it’s doubtful that (m)any of these songs will remain in the live set beyond this next tour.