it is pleasant to hear really heavy/death metal that is more than just beating the hell out of the guitar at high speed and actually induces you to listen to the music and vocals without turning the brain to mush

Labeling this San Francisco five-piece as a black metal band is certainly not inaccurate, but it doesn't really cover the whole of what they do. While many of the tracks on this six-song album are rooted in the black/death realm, this is a band that isn't afraid to incorporate melody into the grueling guitar work, or wrench every bit of rhythm out of the guttural vocals. So while a lot of bands this heavy are content with relying on speed and pounding away frantically, these guys do it with a precision and focus on composition that introduces a much more concentrated intensity to the barrage of sound. "To Extinguish Into the Earth" is menacing from the beginning, but it's a slow build that makes it so foreboding. It doesn't go full bore until over two minutes into it, and by that time, you'll be too invested to turn away. This approach proves effective throughout the entirety of the disc, though their sound remains far from formulaic. Make sure to check out all eight-plus minutes of "Lords of War." It's a journey.