Dioramic

Starting off with the jumbled mess of "Ghosts in the Machine," it's obvious that the German trio have many different influences, but in the process of application, they have forgotten one important element: song structure. A cross, at times, between the quirkiness of Faith No More and the New York art/noise black metal howl of Liturgy, their attempt to create something unique ― almost like they want to start a new sub-genre of metal ― simply doesn't work. However, by "Eluding the Focus" (which in hindsight sums up the entire album), the trio find a comfortable pace and deliver a slightly above-par metalcore track. And while there are still some issues with their overall focus, the second portion of the trio's debut, especially "Lukewarm Remains," is ever so slightly smoother. Time signatures and pointless blast beats are an attempt to showcase their technical proficiency, but instead result in an annoying, fragmented, confusing mess. It's nice to listen to a band that obviously have a lot of ambition, but ultimately it's quality, not quantity that matters.