High hopes for an offering that I hadn’t heard previously from this fine label, home to Archgoat, Blut Aus Nord, and Behexen, among others. It’s a pedigree worth noting, and this release does not disappoint. It makes total sense that these guys hail from France, homeland to Deathspell Omega, Aosoth and Arkhon Infaustus. A cloyingly atmospheric studio sensibility that does not intend to replace decent craftsmanship represents throughout. I am admittedly behind the curve with Haemoth, but they wade in shoulder to shoulder with the aforementioned bands, delivering solid, high quality yet unpretentious black fucking metal. A worthwhile record in a genre where too often people settle for poorly recorded shit over substance in an attempt to appeal to some outmoded cult status, or pile on the production values in an attempt to disguise a lack of imagination. (Debemur Morti Productions, debemur-morti.com) Brad Skibinsky