CITY IN THE SEA intriguingly pulls its moniker from a grim Edgar Allan Poe poem. It’s a vivid, visceral rumination upon death that’s quite appropriate for this quintet. On its first full-length for Sumerian Records, the group – Todd Christopher [vocals], Jeffrey Christian [vocals, guitar], Nick Rossi [guitar], Dan Marinaro [bass] and Connor White [drums] – strikes a poetic balance between murderous melody and metallic madness that’d be undoubtedly put a grin on Poe’s face – and any metal fan in search of something elegantly destructive for that matter.

Led by the searing single “Dead Belief”, the record explodes out of the gate. Gnashing riffs impact distinctly, while Todd’s words resonate profoundly. About “Dead Beliefs”, he reveals, “It’s a good example of what we bring to the table. The lyrics are mostly about things you put faith in throughout your life that don’t seem to go the way you planned. You have the power to let them go and move on.