A dying spiral galaxy of feedback-laden guitars gives way to complex, majestic riff architecture as The Unbeheld's debut full-length, "In The Arms of Mother Chaos", blasts off for the cosmos with the blistering opening track "Not Word". The dynamic rhythm section of Nathan Raab and Shawn Zorn churn out monolithic slabs of heavy rock and roll that slam like vault doors, allowing guitarist Ben Aviotti to unleash his unique brand of Blackmorian fret-melting madness.

Raab's fuzzed-out bass-capades set the stage for "Pretty Simple Agenda", a tune that showcases vocalist Brian Anderson's soaring vocals and impressive range. Anderson's lyrics create worlds within the songs themselves, weaving complex tales of psychedelia, the occult, and a myriad of other content that reveals itself more and more with each subsequent listening. Absolutely pulverizing drums, a colossal bass groove, and downright astonishing guitar pyrotechnics close the song out in high form.

The band's Eastern influences rear their head on the exotic, modal intro of "New Monsters", a song that possesses a simply earth-shattering chorus that defies literary description. After an interstellar noise assault is carried out, Anderson returns with some of the most endearing lyrical brilliance on the entire album, effectively stitching up this sonic tapestry.

And yet, the pummeling continues, as the opening stomp of "Yes S.I.R." serves up piledriving, unrelenting salvos of righteous riffology. Anderson switches from molasses-sweet, soulful serenades to calloused, blackened screams with a duality that is simply unheard of in this genre. This is all before Aviotti's impressive guitar chops tear through a mind-bending harmonic minor-tinged guitar freakout, finally closing out the tune with subtly placed electric organ sounds and a jaw-dropping vocal outro.

Zorn counts off "Holy Water Journey", and this furious jam is officially underway, as Aviotti rips through yet another barnburner of a riff. If this song doesn't get your head banging, have your pulse checked immediately. Sparse, breathy guitars and bass provide the backdrop for a gargantuan drum build that explodes with the fire power of a megaton warhead, with Anderson delivering a memorable vocal knockout in the songs final bars.

The sixth cut, "Voices of Yage", with it's echoey guitars and effected, synthetic bass intro is an exercise in brutal psych-metal. Again we are treated to more of Zorn's brilliant command of meter, and Anderson's awe-inspiring vocals. Before we're given a chance to recover from the previous aural onslaught, the seventh track, "In Element", comes to life like a legion of fire-breathing dragons. At 2:53, this concise track still manages to shine light on all the band's strengths, Raab's rumbling, colorfully distorted bass providing the dank undergrowth in which Aviotti's wah-soaked guitars carefully germinate.

A stuttering, trem-heavy guitar melds in perfect harmonic symmetry with Zorn's tom-heavy drum intro to kick off the eighth track, "The Adept". Anderson again raises the bar vocally, his marrying of throat-shredding stanzas and melodic excerpts is a high art form in and of itself. The albums closer, "Mother Chaos", with Aviotti's unforgettable guitar melody, is a bubbling cosmic brew that overflows from it's cauldron with undeniable groove. Zorn's distant, tasteful drumming cues the bands fiery cadenza, with a bellowing Hammond organ putting the final touches on this masterful debut.