Good  things come in small packages. That’s a tried and true homily that has worked it’s way into our collective lexicon since… forever. Why am I quoting homilies in a Metal review? Because Nux Vomica have created a luxurious sounds cape of an album in just three songs, so small packages, indeed.

This is a marvelous piece of music. That is exactly what it is, too. Each track lasts over ten minutes, culminating in the epic closer “Choked at the Roots“. “Sanity is for the Passive” sets the tone perfectly as the instruments come crashing and the real shit begins with this blistering opener. “Reeling” is track two and is an aptly titled piece since that is what you will be by the time this one rolls around. Which is a bit of a drawback with the album since one track melds seamlessly into the next and they are long. This is not an album to listen to on shuffle, that would not do it justice. It needs to be enjoyed from start to finish, so if you pick this up (which you really should), I highly recommend this method.

I hear some crazy influences in these songs: take one part Hardcore/ Punk, add a dash of Death Metal  that is blacker than the river Styx and some Black Metal vocals that would sound comfortable on any Darkthrone album. That description just scratches the surface, but this is an album that almost defies description so that’s the best I have. The production is crushingly brutal, and the atmosphere that is created fit’s the band’s locale of  Portland perfectly. The guitars cut like razors and yup, there’s bass in there too.

Normally I have a gripe or two with an album at least. But this one I don’t. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it and plan on listening to it a whole lot more. Before I listened to this album I saw that it was only three tracks and was intrigued, after listening to it I think that is the perfect number because music this heavy would literally break the CD under it’s weight.

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