There are many adjectives that can be used to describe 's -- adjectives that include tortured, twisted, dark, morbid, despairing, ominous, and pessimistic. But one thing that this CD will never be called is fast. While , , and are all known for their insanely fast tempos, is the exact opposite -- -influenced riffs crawl along at an amazingly slow tempo. But then, 's albums were never as consistently slow as -- and never had a lead vocalist who sounded like . 's lead singer, does have a very -like voice -- although what he does with it isn't very has always been a party band; , however, is far from party music. This is at its most depressing, and no rays of sunlight enter the world of despair that describes in a most painful, tortured way. Both musically and lyrically, this CD has an extremely dark cloud hovering over its head. And while some is melodic and musical, 's ultra-slow brutality is dissonant, noisy, distorted, and abrasive. has a lot in common with the equally unforgiving ; like epitomizes 's lunatic fringe. Of course, as extreme as isn't everyone's cup of tea -- like / music, this type of is very much an acquired taste. But that doesn't mean that the members of aren't good at what they do -- actually, they're great at what they do. And for those who have a taste for and similar bands, offers considerable rewards. ~ Alex Henderson