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I'm not generally the biggest fan of melodic death metal, especially the progressive stripe, but I can't help but find Raptures///Disillusions from Italy's Ashes of My Memory strangely intriguing. Consisting of two eight-plus minute tracks, Raptures///Disillusions covers a lot of ground with both clear and harsh singing, thrashy, distorted guitars as well as simpler, less-effects-laden playing and passages that are in your face, with others more contemplative and moodier. The songwriting displays a maturity seemingly at odds with the fact this is the band's first "official" release following a single demo. "The Cycle" is the superior track to "The Decline" but both possess mood and atmosphere that honestly reminds me of While Heaven Wept. It will be interesting to see if Ashes of My Memory can maintain the same level of songwriting over a full album but by hooking a casual fan like me with Raptures///Disillusions, they are off to good start.