It has taken some time for Eyes Of Fire to flesh out their line-up, but with a solid cast of characters now in place, they can now deliver on what their previous work only managed to hint at. A commanding performance of noise, melody and atmosphere, comparisons to Mindrot can easily be made, but then again, so can comparisons to Isis and Mastodon as well.

Perhaps then, it's no surprise that the broad body of sound that comprises "Prisons" was produced by Matt Bayles - a man who has worked with both of the later mentioned outfits. But production magic or not, Eyes Of Fire's instrumental prowess is the real star of the show here as the band unleash a lumbering behemoth of dense atmospheric metal upon the listener.

Thundering drums are hard hit with a near tribal feel while stinging riffs intersect with jangling guitar chords and ambient keyboard parts. Raw throaty vocals are doubled up for extra snarling menace atop this muscular skeleton of instrumental savagery that could almost be mistaken for the sound of a mountain tipping over. Truly, with such solidity and somber fierceness Eyes Of Fire put brains and considerable bulk behind their brawn.

However, while the album is quite a monster to behold, there are some glaring weaknesses that do see it falling short from time to time. One of the main problems with it comes in the form of the consistently lethargic pacing, seeing each song sluggishly make its way to a close. Another is that for the most part, sans a few subtle intricacies, nearly each song takes on the same tone and feel, making it hard to last through the entire album in a single sitting.

That said, there is much to admire about what Eyes Of Fire have become and just what "Prisons" accomplishes for them. Fans of Isis, Neurosis and Cult Of Luna surely wouldn't mind being incarcerated with this record for an extended period of time and anyone into thick, progressive musicianship is guaranteed to find enjoyment here as well; especially since the pungent nature of "Prisons" suggests that showers with other inmates are optional.