Magma

Although they have toned down the complexity a bit, the music is still incredibly heavy, and there are still more ideas in this album than most bands manage in an entire career - from the Middle Eastern soloing of "Silvera" through the brutal, syncopated drum tattoo that drives "The Cell" to the almost liturgical, monastic vocals on the title track and the incredibly harsh, shrieking, industrial guitar effect that shows up periodically. Opener "The Shooting Star" sets the stage for the rest of the album with a sludgy midtempo groove, multi-tracked vocals, a minor-key melody, clean singing, and a veritable wall of guitar. The title track is one of the most progressive on the record, harking back to the band's old-school days with at least five different sections, and is followed up immediately by the one-two punch of a couple of the album's heaviest tracks - "Pray," blasting along with grinding, djent-inspired riffage, and "Only Pain," where Joe Duplantier roars into the void over a cyclical maelstrom of guitar. The album ends in stately near-silence with the acoustic instrumental outro "Liberation." The bulk of the lyrics are inspired by the untimely passing of the Duplantier brothers' mother, a subject that has obviously been the cause of much pain but is also handled with grace, sensitivity, and good taste. 

 - John D. Buchanan. allmusic.com