Granted, there are numerous bands out there that push the envelope of song length, pumping out tunes that weigh in over at least seven minutes on average; and if those bands are good enough, no matter what the length you find yourself entertained throughout. But when you narrow it down to the Extreme Metal genre where the order of the day is 14 two to three minute tunes served up cold, plain and redundant, to have a band brave and brilliant enough to pull off a 60 minute, seven track opus is truly a noteworthy accomplishment, and there are few that could compare to the Progressive-minded Norwegians known as COMMUNIC.

After hearing the band's first release, "Conspiracy In Mind", many made the fair statement that main man Oddleif Stensland borrows heavily (some said perhaps too heavily) from Nevermore front man Warrel Dane's vocal style, and while that distinction remains to an extent, there is no arguing with the evolution and development of Stensland's delivery, and said evolution evokes that sense of heightened vocal identity the band needed. After all, COMMUNIC is much, much more than some two bit Nevermore clone, as "Waves Of Visual Decay" is guaranteed to establish.

COMMUNIC's approach to songwriting could be likened to a near-terminal case of Attention Deficit Disorder put to the best possible use, forsaking a prescription of Ritalin in favor of a never-satisfied-with-repetition mindset that produces ample top quality, broadly impressive music. And while some may feel out of their element playing songs that rarely venture back into themselves with repeated choruses and reliance upon a certain riff, there's plenty to be said for the ever-transitioning waves of musical transcendence that carry you through countless riffs, breaks, bridges, blasts, bellows and melodies that are the essence of any COMMUNIC tune.

Nor does the effort to diversify the music and mystify the listener stop there, for Stensland has much to say lyrically about issues with actual relevance (another factor to the length of the band's songs). In no instance will you find tales of homicidal rage, necrotic inclinations, blood and guts barbarism or Satanic slumber parties; instead, Stensland makes the extra effort to weave tales of social concern, historical curiosities and topics born of sincere and personal emotion. And when all is said and done, the numerous avenues of influence and intention intersecting at all the right points, the result is unfalteringly impressive.

For example, take the song, "Frozen Asleep In The Park". Richly woven layers of musical texture and subtlety abound, weaving effortlessly through moving melody and crunching guitar riffs, multiple tempo shifts delivered with exact precision for maximum impact, a strongly emotive and always decipherable vocal delivery, and a potent lyrical subject, in this case addressing the sorrowful fate of the homeless and addicted, their life reduced to nothing as their families turn their backs and leave them to die lost and alone. The solitude and tragedy is captured powerfully and delivered adeptly, capable of enthralling the listener with any given aspect of the song, be it through a specific instrument, the vocals delivered or the tale that comes with them.

Each COMMUNIC song bears similar nuances and impressive substance, so suffice it to say that if any single COMMUNIC tune is able to garner your attention and appreciation, then the rest will assuredly do the same. This is a band well-versed and comfortable in their art, and reliability of this caliber is a certainty that most bands could never lay claim to. Dwelling "Under A Luminous Sky", COMMUNIC illuminate the shadows themselves, laying bare the effects of these "Waves Of Visual Decay" for all to see through their own potent waves of aural fascination.