“Rise of the Vermillion Bird” opens the album up on an elegant note. It does not take long before they dive deep into their inviting rhythms and inventive riffing. Catchy to the core is the spirited work of “The Great Race”. Their progressive rock leanings come out in full force on the passionate “The Black Tortoise” whose evolution is quite profound. Light and airy “Reincarnation” is nimble with bright beautiful colors. By far the highlight of the album is the satisfying ambition of “Dragon King of the North Sea” with layers of sound creating a virtually kaleidoscopic feel to the sound. Ending things on something of an introspective note is the low key reflective “Entropy”.
Unlike anything else out there, Hsu-nami once again prove on their self-titled album that they are a powerful, deeply moving band.