Continuing the work the band started on the full-length
Vertikal,
Cult of Luna extend ominous moods evoked on that album with Vertikal II. With three new tracks, as well as a more condensed remix of the sprawling "Vicarious Redemption" by
Justin Broadrick (
Jesu,
Godflesh), the EP feels more like an epilogue to the previous full-length than an extension. While the vibe here is a little looser (think late-model
Neurosis),
Cult of Luna still aren't afraid to let things play out at their own pace, so even though the songs here don't possess the rigidity of their forebears, they have the same sense of depth that made the first volume such a compelling listen. ~ Gregory Heaney