Unless you're in Converge, creating a sprawling noise effort in 2005 is no longer a mere plug in and play affair. There now has to be a distinct pedigree and art-form in place for it to rise to the top and stand out amongst the throngs of those also trying their hand. Luckily for them, the UK's Eden Maine already got a headstart on their come-lately competition with their excellent Kurt Ballou of Converge produced "The Treachery Pact", so it's only natural that this follow-up has some eyebrows and fists raised in anticipation.

Enlisting the production talents of Andrew Schneider (Cave In, The Red Chord) this time around, these blokes have branched out into less restrictive territory; channeling their once ferociously structured aggression into a veritable wasteland of sonic instrumentation. From drawn-out Neurosis meets Isis doom and gloom forays to relentlessly depraved onslaughts, the band thrust forth with pained throaty vocals and enough thundering bombast to trigger an earthquake.

While their style still very much pays tribute to bands like Converge and early Cave In, their progression and disorderly approach proves them to be, much like the aforementioned outfits, a group willing to experiment. Admittedly their now more wanton style does detract from the all out intensity they captured perfectly on their last record. But while they may not be as direct, their newly broadened horizons leave the listener with more to think about afterwards. Whether or not they wanted to is another question altogether of course. But for those seeking an album that mixes antagonistic violence with enough rigid instrumental lumbering to make a dinosaur feel at home, "To You The First Star" will leave more than a few bruised and satisfied.