PACT is one of these underground entities that simply make a vibrant, and flamboyant statement with their very debut. They breathe life into an other-worldly bleak environment while retaining the frostbitten sacredness of the traditionally occult approach of the primal incarnation of black metal. They dare push out of the box, and create an embodiment of ideas that stun, move, and desecrate. It's a daunting task to remain indifferent whilst sitting through those ten tracks, with the sharpest ear at the ready. This sound morphs, twists, bends, and transforms the rough draft of these songwriting patterns in a very three-dimensional fashion. There's no such thing as narrow-minded, paint-by-the-numbers dwellings on this disc. Each choice cut has a particularly (and positively) frazzling evolution to suggest. Not every single end of this deal is immune, though, and some critcisms do have to step in, but it has to be said that the effort to keep the tableau crunchy, suspenseful, unpredictable, and thoroughly badass is one that is genuinely impressive, skillful, organic, and respectable.

''Litany to Satan'' is quick to introduce the novices to the incredibly twisted riffery PACT proudly helms. Those rhythm sections are trippy, hivernal, and incredibly expressive. Whilst this first cut isn't the most convincing endeavor in terms of definitively tying the knot about the overall excellency of this album, it's a pretty nifty introduction to a world of possibilities. ''Into Heaven's Night'' takes on a life of its own with an attack that seems to balance between subtlety and all out fury, and the grittiness created by the ensemble of the sounds is one that ups the ante considerably, and goes to show that PACT is in it to fucking smash. The drumming is infatiguable and seasoned; the riffs showcase melodies that speak to the mind and heart, forcing both those elements of the human psyche to hold on and LISTEN. At this point, it's difficult to want to turn away, since it's blatant that this band has something incredibly special in their ammo; a flair for the art of being genuinely captivating. ''Dreamless Death'' is smoother, as the title aptly suggests, and progressively drapes the listener in an aura of particularly contemplative musings. Thus, yet another box is being ticked; the aptitude to create a bone chilling ambiance (without the aid of overly typical elements) is being nailed. ''Ecstacy and Illumination'' dives straight back into the realms of well-calculated madness, taking my fascination to interesting heights. ''The Flowers of Evil'' falls into a clear mold instead of adhering to the Progressive penchants of the rest of this disc so far, but still very much retains a signature vibe. ''The Middle Pillar'' seems to be a little too centered on the vocal delivery, and albeit there's no doubt in my mind that this frontman could skillfully scream his way right through the dimensions and destroy absolutely everything on his path, I have to point out that the instrumentation takes too much of a backseat here. It's obvious to me that it has the potential of holding its own from wall to wall. From ''Ascension from the Fall'' right towards ''Suicide Sigil'', I have to admit I was less immersed. There are a few points of zoneout that get saved from the endless stumble by well-orchestrated buildups, but I can hardly say those three bodies of work will stick with me for the years to come. ''A Vast Eternity'' is painting out a beautiful labyrinth of ethereal melodies that charm the senses in such a way, it's hard to resist the urge to re-explore the album in its entirety, in order to fully appreciate its intricate overtones, regardless of its few-and-far-between passages of Hit & Miss endeavors.

In a nutshell, there is incredible potential at play in the PACT camp; this first release is solid proof. Whilst it ain't perfect, it's got plenty of inspiring avenues to suggest. That alone makes it entirely superb, and worth the detour.

RATING: 8.5/10

-Noch