Anciient's first release in 8 years and boy were there some shoes to fill. While Beyond the Reach of the Sun doesn't quite live up to it's predecessor, it's still a strong and enjoyable album. While each song is crafted with a clear intent, you can sort of just jump in to any song at any part and start enjoying it - the instrumentals, melodic crafting, and atmospheres are solid. If you're like me - a groove snob - then you might not find yourself headbanging as much as you would like, but that's not to say the rhythms are at all a let down. Not at all - it's good, and you should listen to it.