Aarktica -- In Sea

8/10

Aarktica return to the ethereal depths of their roots on sixth LP, In Sea. Jon DeRosa brings back the droning guitars of old and banishes the more polished, populist tendencies of his previous album, Matchless Years. Not to say that he doesn't make an attempt at singing this time--his vocals on the album-closing Danzig cover, "Am I Demon?", are meditative and haunting; on "Hollow Earth Theory," an album standout, wonder-drenched:

Outside of these two tracks, however, the music is on its own, but it progresses with the natural beauty of water flowing, freezing, thawing, flowing again. The title of this album could not be more apt. In Sea is a joy to listen to, and a true cleansing experience.

2009 Silber Records
1. I Am (the Ice) 3:54
2. LYMZ 4:46
3. Hollow Earth Theory 4:46
4. A Plague of Frost (in the Guise of Diamonds) 8:09
5. In Sea 3:54
6. Onward! 2:40
7. Young Light 3:02
8. Autumnal 3:14
9. Corpse Reviver No. 2 8:00
10. Install 3:32
11. When We're Ghosts 4:07
12. Am I Demon? 5:58