This album doesn’t really have some singular massive peak where it completely grabs you more than everything else. Neural Abyss largely sustain this record by simply continuing their steady output of dark riffs, subtle turns, and that always reliably OSDM sound. Nothing really falls apart at the seams, but more importantly nothing becomes completely monotonous from track to track.
Many of the songs are in the same broad lane, but there’s just enough variation in pace and riffs that you probably don’t need to start skip tracking to avoid feeling bored.
The guitar work plays the largest part in propelling the album, with plenty of good, heavy riffs providing interest over a mostly uniform dark atmosphere. Vocals go well with this as they aren’t so low or buried into the back that it’s hard to understand them, but rather they have a slightly reserved quality and scratchiness that makes them feel cold and remote without disappearing. I also appreciate that this record isn’t so intent on seeming as brutal as possible. There’s heaviness, darkness and sufficient aggression without ever wanting to entirely drown you. While ‘Everything Is Over’ doesn’t single out one song to differentiate itself from the others completely, on an overall listen, it delivers a surprisingly good and consistent showcase and can certainly pass as a decent Death Metal offering that sticks to its strengths and understands what it wants to do.
