One of melodic Death Metal’s most consistently invent and initiative acts. They are storytellers using melodic death metal’s inherent juxtaposition of gruff vocals and melodic guitars to paint evocative pictures This is another concept album and this time they evocatively churn up a nightmarish vision of a rural Sweden plagued by famine and mystical suspicion. 

It nominally tells the tale of the Torsåker witch trials but that is the jump-off point to bring a world of hunger, scepticism, and rural horror to life. It is a dark and effecting story, and they use an astounding mix of gnarled riffs and acoustic beauty to tell it. 

They resist getting too epic and bombastic and instead create an insular and claustrophobic suite of music that is full of creeping resentment and uncertainty. It is beautiful but also, in keeping with the subject matter, it is an unsettling listen. Overall, it is an astounding example of just what is possible with metal.