Muddy, rain beaten and utterly chthonic are but a few of the choice phrases that could describe Ireland's purveyors of twisted art. But in a similar vein to the godlike Esoteric, with whom they now rather impressively share a label, words are often rendered insufficient. You have to feel it, really lose yourself in such hostile murk in order to come to terms with it. Consider the peeling off of the gutter low bass notes of "Stop The Black Coffins" at its nine minute mark - so slowly do they decline and lilt down to the ground that they almost take you with them. It's like an irresistible tug, shunting your sense back and forth as you try with every sinew not to follow. There's a sort of black humour in noting that this one isn't quite as immediate as either the first or second demos, given that the band are as immediate as an ice age, but the point stands. It takes a lot more work. A lot. More. Work. It's demanding, challenging, frustrating and grumpily insistent on not being likable. But when it isn't broiling through tar filled lungs, and when it lurches into one of those monstrously huge deformations of silage they call riffs, it's awesome. More of those moments of red eyed grandeur would have been nice, it's true. But like Scald's 'Vermiculatus', it's more akin to the stream of consciousness outpourings of some very deranged and benighted headspaces. As disgustingly organic as a centipede in your bed, it's not so much this band's music as it's behaviour. Urgh(Metal Ireland). Please note that the gatefold artwork for the vinyl edition has been revamped and greatly improved Limited to 548 copies only...