Comprised of former members of extinct tech. monsters Eyes Upon Separation and the more hardcore/metal minded Dead To Fall, among others, Harlots already have a wealth of experience under their spiked belts. When judging by the absolutely monstrous "The Woman You Saw Is The Great City That Rules Over The Kings Of The Earth", it would appear they also have a truly adventuous mindset as they've set out to construct a new breed of extreme. Eliciting comparisons to Botch's technical tenacity, Cult Of Luna's epic scope, Mogwai's earthy, organic textures and Ion Dissonance's pure brutality quotient, this is a group with lofty goals and a hunger for carnal dynamics.

Throughout this tumultuous exorcism of metallic extremes Harlots provide a theme of destruction, call it suggestive armageddon. Despite the song titles being torn directly from the book of Revelation, chapters 17-18, the band insist that this is not a relgious affair, as the destruction on display is thematically that of a social and/or personal nature. In that sense the Biblical inclinations given by the titles (other than being a mouthful) provide a symbolic requiem of a different sort, mimicking the overall theme of falling apart with dramatic panache. For all the positives found here, "The Woman You Saw..." does have its share of flaws, primarily in stilted production values that burden the album. There is a vaguely droning guitar mix that often undermines Eric Dunn's skill as well as the actual quality of Harlots tech. grind. Several brief channel cut-off gaffes also slightly interrupt the album's fluidity. The mix offered severely limits one from getting a true read on how Harlots stand vocally, as the indistinguishable roar which is used primarily happens to be little more than atonal noise relegated to the background.

Compratively speaking, the album is a rousing success during the group's moments of stark ambient reflection. Stripped of any vocal stigmas and given the opportunity to truly explore the aural pallette proves to be Harlots defining strength, twisting and turning with muted textures that effectively balance a coarse/soft dynamic in sound. The juxtaposition of angelic instrumentation and demonic tech. grind makes for a riveting experience, in spite of the amateur production, as the two elements ricochet off one another with kinetic intensity. This aural insanity emanating from the speakers, paired with the group's penchant for grandiose conceptual themes ultimately makes "The Woman You Saw..." a captivating, if at times overwhelming album.