One year after the confronting Ashes In The Huron River, we've got another depressingly contemplative, North USA river-based album that continues the angst and anti-modernity (to a certain extent) that is a Theophonos staple. Allegheny Rains is an oppressive experience - let's get that out of the way. It's not an easy or pleasant listen on the surface. Beneath that surface, buried in the lyrics, are some thought-provoking and interesting conceptual explorations of purpose, freedom, and interpersonal struggles. However, for every insightful lyrical verse, there is an equally callow one, which pulls me out of the thematic immersion the lyrics are otherwise capable of maintaining. Musically, it's an aggressive black metal onslaught, coupled with some groovy and melodic sections that serve as welcome reprieves from the dissonance. What the album does fantastically well is surround you with an air of oppression that is, at times, suffocatingly satisfying - it achieves what it sets out to do. The vocals are the weakest aspect of the album (and, at times, the lyrics along with them), and I can't help but yearn for a deeper, more commanding growl. That said, the rhythmic and percussive elements are a real treat, evolving the sound beyond the more predictable aggressive black metal. A strong album overall.