Umbra Vitae: Light of Death LP

"Light Of Death" is the 15 song sophomore album from Umbra Vitae. Recorded by Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at God City Studios and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. "Leave Of Absence" emerges with a spine-chilling violin swell before erupting into duel guitar driven madness courtesy of Sean Martin (Twitching Tongues, ex-Hatebreed) and Mike McKenzie (The Red Chord). Umbra Vitae stay redlined with "Belief Is Obsolete" and "Clear Cutter", showcasing the electrifying rhythm section of Jon Rice (Uncle Acid, Tsjuder) and Greg Weeks (The Red Chord). Hook-laden "Anti-Spirit Machine" then takes center stage as a war cry for the downtrodden. From here Umbra Vitae continue to smash and thrash everything in sight. The discordant "Reality In Retrograde" races with a grinding blur into the lumbering "Past Tense" and darkly seductive "Velvet Black". Two songs that are metallic heaviness incarnate. "Twenty-Twenty Vision", "Algorithm Of Fear", and "Empty Vessel" then pick up the intensity, propelled by the poignant lyrical themes and inhuman vocal deliveries of Jacob Bannon (Converge). Lastly, the trinity of slow-crawl "Cause & Effect", ultra-violent "Deep End", and whirlwind "Nature vs. Nurture" continue to bludgeon, ushering in the interlinked "Fatal Flaw" and "Light Of Death" as the vicious finale to this modern metal masterpiece.