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The enigmatic Portland sect of Vrasubatlat is certainly about to have a busy week. The label sees releases from three of its projects and one of which is the debut LP of solo effort, Adzalaan. Manned by the label's driving force—simply known as R—the raw death/black project becomes the tip of the spear for Vrasubatlat. With this new batch of releases, starting with Into Vermilion Mirrors, the label shows a new, razor-sharp focus.

Adzalaan is undoubtedly ushering in a new, deeper level of execution for Vrasubatlat. R's work on all the instruments, ambiance, and vocals result in a sinister mixture of black metal riffing, deathly growls, and nuanced atmosphere. For example, "False Cleansing" into the interlude, "Haven in Blood" wonderfully displays Adzalaan's dynamic approach. The roughly six-minute stretch plays to Vrasubatlat's dedication to the art of raw, extreme metal while showing off glimpses of experimentation.

A personal favorite, "Paralysis Euphoria" is probably the album's fiercest track. It revels in the unhinged madness of the earliest offerings and offers a rolling groove that channels Eastern European or Scandinavian motifs. Overall, it is surely a terse offering—there are seven songs across 28 minutes. Yet, Into Vermilion Mirrors does more than enough to prove how lethal R's solo work is and give some insight to where Vrasubatlat might be headed.

Stream Into Vermilion Mirrors below. Pre-orders and purchases of the album are available through Vrasubatlat themselves, Invictus Productions, and Fallen Empire Records.

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