Adversity and determination are not only words that could be used to describe Mouth Of The Architect's sound, but also words that could sum up the band themselves. Despite facing a line-up change that saw them losing a guitarist and their bassist, they still soldiered on to the studio as a trio to record this effort; even going so far as enlisting the services of Brian Cook of Botch/These Arms Are Snakes fame to handle the low end for the studio sessions.

But while Mouth Of The Architect may have gotten by with a little help from their friends - including Mastodon's Brent Hinds, who contributes some guest vocals on "At Arm's Length"; the real support here comes from the groups better understanding of themselves. Sure the Neurosis-vibe is still present - it'd be hard to escape it in the style of music the band play. But throughout the long droning instrumentation, the ethereal keys, the samples and the gruff vocals, there is an abyss-like depth that sees the listener somehow avoiding that eventual impact of tedium, well, for awhile at least.

With a creeping momentum, an unnerving amount of instrumental juxtaposition and a somewhat meaty snarl to the bands playing, the prog-rock core featured here begins to shine through more than on previous efforts. While the entire songs themselves (most of which clock in around 10 minutes plus) are definitely monolithic in design, their interiors are decorated with far more intricacy than one would expect. Yes, the weight of the music can be oppressive, but this generally works well with its somewhat doomy feel.

As with nearly all music written in this vein though, it can become tiresome over time as a sense of numbness sets in. On some tracks this happens faster than others and while smooth transitions see at least some dynamic shifts steering the course in a new direction, even they get exhausted eventually as well. Basically, "The Ties That Blind" relies a bit too heavily on the greyscale, rarely adding in any color. Still, if you wish Neurosis would listen to more King Crimson and doom metal, then this construct just might be your spiral staircase to heaven.