Accursed by Vale Of Pnath

The band's second EP following two acclaimed full-lengths (2011's The Prodigal Empire and 2016's II), Accursed is fueled with Tech Death adrenaline and shrouded in black metal's iniquitous aura. Those complementary qualities enhance what is unequivocally another giant step forward in penetrating songwriting dynamics. Concision with depth describes the five proper compositions, while the cold, mechanistic opening soundscape "Shadow and Agony" and chilling interlude "Audient Void," are equally vital in completing an EP that is best absorbed as a holistic musical experience, albeit one that is the stuff of nightmares. The picture painted is a bleak one, the intensity unleashed nothing short of devastating to the nervous system and traumatic to the psyche.