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Breaking with that tradition a bit comes BlyndÆs █ █ █ █ second album, and Pitch Black Records debut, ôPunishment █ █ █ █ Unfolds.ö This thrash-rooted, melodic death metal disc █ █ █ █ changes the formula with some symphonic undertones, █ █ █ █ creating another sub-genre to catalog away: sympho █ █ █ █ death/thrash! █ █ █ █ The opening instrumental (and thoroughly epic) track █ █ █ █ ôDivine Gatheringö definitely brings up a Septicflesh █ █ █ █ connection, which is furthered by the fact that the albumÆs █ █ █ █ artwork was also handled by Seth Siro Anton of Septicflesh █ █ █ █ fame. But if ôsymphonicö isnÆt a tag that you normally dig █ █ █ █ associated with your thrash or death, not to worry, as itÆs █ █ █ █ not an all-consuming force here. Aside from the opening █ █ █ █ track and some orchestral elements in the first couple of █ █ █ █ songs, this isnÆt nearly as much a symphonic-focused album █ █ █ █ as it might seem at first, and by the second half of the █ █ █ █ disc, those elements are essentially dropped altogether. █ █ █ █ Amidst all the death growls and overall focus on brutal █ █ █ █ sounds, thereÆs some surprisingly upbeat and fast-paced, █ █ █ █ thrash-styled solos all throughout the album. This contrast █ █ █ █ offers a mixing of styles and a fun balance, so the album █ █ █ █ doesnÆt ever really have a dull or boring moment. The death █ █ █ █ growls dominate the disc on the vocal front, with only a █ █ █ █ short addition of backing gang chant singing on ôSins to █ █ █ █ the Cross.ö █ █ █ █ ôPunishment Unfoldsö isnÆt a completely perfect album, as █ █ █ █ the production does frequently seem like it could be just a █ █ █ █ smidge sharper around the edges and the last few songs do █ █ █ █ start to blend together a bit. Even with those issues, this █ █ █ █ is an amazingly solid release overall and shows a band █ █ █ █ ready to break out of the bounds of its home country and █ █ █ █ join the worldwide stage among the dominating extreme metal █ █ █ █ acts. █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ Highs: Top-notch melodic death meets roaring thrash metal, █ █ █ █ and some symphonic madness gets thrown in for good measure. █ █ █ █ Lows: The production isn't perfect, and the album would █ █ █ █ sound tighter with one or two of the ending songs cut. █ █ █ █ Bottom line: Blynd is a band to look out for if you like a █ █ █ █ mix of death and thrash, and the symphonic elements bump █ █ █ █ this one up to the next level. █ █ █ █ █ █ █░█ █░█ █ █ 1. Divine Gathering 2:13 █ █ █ █ 2. Arrival of the Gods 4:45 █ █ █ █ 3. As Punishment Unfolds (feat. Sakis Tolis) 4:25 █ █ █ █ 4. Never for the Fallen 4:43 █ █ █ █ 5. The Chosen Few 4:30 █ █ █ █ 6. Convicted in the Devil's Land 5:17 █ █ █ █ 7. Sins to the Cross (feat. George Charalambous) 4:39 █ █ █ █ 8. The Final Resistance 4:12 █ █ █ █ 9. Divine Conspiracy 4:02 █ █ █ █ 10. Infinity Race 5:08 █ █ █ █ 43:54 █ █ █░█░ █░█░ █░█░ █░█░ █░█▒ + G R a v e W i s h + █░█▒ ░█▒█▒ - est.2000 - ░█▒█▒ ░█▓█▓░ ████▄▄ ▄▄▄████ ░█▓█▓░ ▒▓██▓▓░ ░██████████▄▄ ▄▄██████████▒ ▒▓██▓▓░ ▓█▓██▒▓██▒ ██▓ ▓██████████▓░ ▓██ ▒▄▄▓▒██▓█▓ ▓██▄██▓▄█░██ ░██▓ ▓██ ▄█░█▄▓██▄██▓ ░███ ████▀██░█ ░██░▀███████████▀▓██ █░██▀████ ███░ ▓██ ███ ▀█░█ ██ ░██ █████████ ░██ ██ █░█▀ ███ ██▓ ██░ ▀ █░█▓ ███ ▓█░ ███████ ░██ ███░ ▓█░█ ▀ ░██ ▓█░▄ ███ █▓█░ ░█░███ ▓█ ██████ ██ ███ ██ ░█▓█ ███ ▄░█▓ ░██░▄ ██░██▓█ █ ░█████ ▓█ █████ ░█ ████░ █ █▓██░██ ▄░██░ ▓███░▄ ███░█▄ ██ ░▓█████ █░ ████ ██ █████░ ██ ▄█░███ ▄░███▓ ░ ▀██░▀▀████░▓█▄ █ █░░▓█████ ▀█ ███ █░ █████▓░ █ █ ▄█▓░████▀▀░██▀ ░ ▒ ▀████▓▀███░██▄ ██ ░███ ░░▓█████ ███ ████▓▓░ ███░ ██ ▄██▓███▀▓████▀ ▒ ░ ▓ ███░▓█ ██ ███████ ░░▓▓░ ███ ░▓▓░░ ███████ ██ █▓░███ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ▀████PR█ ████████████████████████████████ █ ████▀ ░ ░ ░ ▓▓ █ ████████████████████████████████ █ ▓▓ ░ ▒ █ █████████ ░▓▓░ ███ ░▓░ █████████ █ ▒ ░ ██ █████░ ░▓████░ ███ ░███▓▓ ░█████ ██ ░ ██ █ ░████░ ▄█ ███ █▄░████▓░ █ ██ ░ █ ████▓ █░ █████ ░█ ▓████░ █ ░ █ ███▓▓░ █▓ █████ █▄ ▓███░ █▄ █▓███░ █▀ ██████▒ ▀█░ ▓███ █ ████▓░ ██ ███████ ██░ ░████ ██▓ ██ █████████ ██ ░██ █▓░ ██ ▄███████████▄░██ ░█ ██░ ░██ ██░ ▓██████████░ ▓██ ███▓██████▀▀ ▀▀██████████▒ ████▀▀▀ ▀▀▀████