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Here is a self-release by a band who are at least doing something different. Vaelmyst are from Los Angeles, of all places, and I definitely would not have guessed that. This is definitely Death Metal, and very melodic, but those two things don't come together the way that label would make you expect. The level of musicianship here is very high, and despite that this is not what we call "technical", it is still spiked with a lot of little twists and turns and melodic flourishes that make it stand out from the pack. The recording is solid and gives this the depth and heaviness it needs. I can't really compare this to other bands, except maybe some bits that remind me of Withering, or of the experimental Mithras. If you are looking for another Dark Tranquility clone you won't find it here, but if you want some music that manages to be heavy and aggressive while still being genuinely surprising, then give this one a look.