You might think that a six track album can't possibly pack a big punch, but you couldn't be more wrong. Clocking in at 53 minutes, this is anything but a brief listen. It's an eclectic mix of rock, metal and prog rock. It sounds like a mishmash on paper, but it comes together as a superb collective work.

The album opens with "Sigil To Ruin". You're lured in by its soft tones before, wham, you're hit over the head as the track's true intention is revealed. There's certainly plenty here that's reminiscent of guitar bands from the '70s and '80s, with that familiar, expansive sound, but as the song unfolds the progressive elements begin to weave effortlessly through the composition. This is one of two tracks on the album that break the ten minute mark, but it flies by. The understated vocals add warmth and texture without ever dominating the mix, and I think that works perfectly.

The next track, "Capture/Release", follows a similar path, beginning gently before gradually building. At first, you think you're getting something reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", but then the heavier rock influences bleed through and you're swept away on a wave of guitars and drums. The vocals once again remain understated, acting more as another instrument than a focal point. There's a wonderful guitar passage that this time reminds me of Pink Floyd's "One of These Days", and you can't help but wonder about the band's biggest influences.

"Through Zone" has a more wayward progressive rock feel. It opens intriguingly before suddenly throwing you right into the midst of things, and I found myself constantly trying, and failing, to predict where it was heading. An unexpected lull follows, with the vocals becoming more pronounced for the first time, though they still retain a minimalist quality. Rather than returning to the intensity of the opening, the track continually morphs from one section to another, with melody and glorious repetition serving as constant ingredients. There's also some excellent keyboard work that perfectly complements the mood.

The second of the two ten-minute behemoths, "Strata", begins with an engaging keyboard and guitar introduction, providing yet another relaxed opening before gradually shifting up a gear. This feels like a more contemplative piece, unfolding deliberately with fewer flourishes. Once again, the vocals sit low in the mix and, if I'm honest, I think this particular track could have carried itself perfectly well without them, allowing the guitars to take over that melodic role instead. Around a third of the way through, the pace gradually increases and the guitars once again evoke that classic rock sound. Around the halfway mark, it's almost as though the track is trying to end, but something won't quite let it. It's quite a journey until things eventually settle into a more conventional progression. That almost sounds like criticism, but it isn't. It's simply the moment when everything finally clicks into place. It's as though a giant rubber band is being drawn back, before finally being released in the closing minute, allowing the track to drift naturally to its conclusion under it's own fading momentum.

"Sight Unseen" picks up where the previous track leaves off, the fading momentum still lingering, but with the sense that something is quietly brewing beneath the surface. It's a wonderfully slow burn. Around the three minute mark there's a subtle shift, more a change in flavour and texture than a dramatic departure from what came before. The real payoff arrives as the track approaches the six-minute mark. Initially, I found myself almost disappointed because I was enjoying the more restrained atmosphere, but once again the band proves it knows exactly where it wants to take you.

The album closes with "Blighted Age", which is probably the weakest track on the record for me. Here, more than anywhere else, the vocals get in the way of what is otherwise some great music, becoming more of a distraction than a focal point.

I think it's safe to say this isn't a casual listen. Sometimes you want an album you can simply lose yourself in, and this has all those qualities. For the 53 minutes it runs, there is nothing else. No outside thoughts or distractions. You're trapped within its world, but it's exactly where you want to be. As I've mentioned throughout, the vocals often add warmth and texture, though there are moments where, for me, they feel less essential than the instrumental work surrounding them. That's a minor criticism, however. Overall, this is a cracking album.