GRAVEWORM is back with album number seven and I have to say that it's just ok, but slightly better than their last offering. It still follows in the footsteps of DIMMU/CRADLE, but it seems just a tad more evil. "I-The Machine" is loaded with blast beats and evil growly vocals from Stefano, but the music is still the same and you have heard it all before. The atmospheric and haunting Gothic sounds thanks to the keys. The drums are pretty technical with some crunching guitar work, but it's been done to death.

The title track is more melodic than the opener, but it reminds me of a song that HYPOCRISY would have done a few years ago. "Hateful Design" is probably one of the more interesting tracks because it sounds more Death Metal than anything else. The Black Metal influences are there, but not as much as I would have preferred if they went this route than the other one because this one has evil written all over it without being so synthetic.

I think what's sad about this music is that it's not only predictable, but you can skip to the next song after a few minutes because it's all been done to before. The only thing I can credit them with is the fact that these songs are short and not epic. I only see true Goth/Melodic Black Metal fans picking this up. (Online October 26, 2005)