Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, former Broken Flesh vocalist Ricky Puckett has compiled ten tracks of goth-influenced death metal in his solo project debut. Being responsible for the vocals and all instruments does give one a bit of freedom but also increases the pressure significantly, especially when it comes to sound quality. Overall, the sound quality is very clean, perhaps a bit too clean for the genre, but it does make the vocals more intelligible.
The album opens with some mournful piano and spoken word in a dark, smooth voice as the song winds its way through the dark material of Psalm 88. Part way through the song, the double bass and guitars come in along with some growling death metal vocals supported by clean vocals and the ever-present piano. “The Vanishing” opens up with a distinctive goth flair to the vocals and a bit of a doom metal feel given the droning guitar riff and lyrics.
Things start to pick up with the opening for “Bleeding Out” and its cool lumbering gallop riff. In this case the clean vocals are simply not there, replaced by deep growling death metal vocals. This is one of the pounding songs on the album. Continue reading »