Review by Greg on June 2, 2026.

IATT, shortened from the (peculiar) initial moniker I Am The Trireme, is an interesting band from Pennsylvania. It seems to have originally started out as a metalcore band, and apparently all but shed their roots since then, at least by the time their fourth full-length effort "Etheric Realms Of The Night" hit the shelves recently. Indeed, the four guys are now dedicating themselves to progressive black/death metal with symphonic and artsy touches, drawing an immediate comparison with the trajectory followed by bands like Abigail Williams. This new beast follows in these footsteps, being a concept album centered around sleep. Which is a summary as accurate as saying that Moby Dick is a book about going fishing, given that they even accompanied the EPK with the synopsis of a film supposed to accompany the listening experience and give the music a new dimension. Pardon me for being an uncultured swine and not being interested enough to actually check and evaluate if the songs actually convey those emotions, but that's another story, and the music is what really matters, after all.

Perhaps, for those already acquainted with the band, "Etheric Realms Of The Night" isn't that much of a shock as it is for somebody diving into IATT for the first time at this point, like I'm doing. Because this is quite the shock, indeed. Any listener will know they're in for a treat as soon as opener 'Drift Away' ends. Introduced by a minimalistic intro consisting of acoustic guitars, some drum hits, and a flute on top of all this (an instrument that will enhance a major part of the whole album), it soon gives way to an expected, but no less brute awakening, which also brought to mind something from The Black Dahlia Murder. The shrieking+growling dual vocal style goes in that direction as well. Surprises don't end here, as the song goes through various phases, including a groovy, jazzy interlude, where Paul Cole's drumming finally gets to shine, and many piano incursions. The tonal shifts are frequent and might put off some listeners, but I've been kept in awe throughout all of them, honestly. It all comes full circle at the end, where a sprinkle of clean vocals provide the icing on the cake in the gut-wrenching chorus. Is frontman Jay Roscoe doing all these voices on his own? This is one of those songs you just know it's gonna be nigh impossible to top after one mere listen.

It's good news, then, that IATT try their damned hardest to do so. 'To Lie Beneath' clocks off at 9 minutes, which is kinda overkill to put as the second track, although they include 2 minutes of calmer flute/piano outro. The rest is, once again, highlight after highlight – the transition from the dissonant, blunt piano notes in the prechorus to the exquisite violins hammering the chorus home was a real punch in the gut. There's some disgustingly beautiful riffs and melodies in the middle, among all these synths and orchestrations, and this is precisely what kept me returning – the guitars might not be in the spotlight at all times, but never feel like they're absent for too long at once and never fail to make their voices heard, like all the cool licks and riffs found in 'Somniphobia' showcase. The stop-start parts here work masterfully, which is a sentence I'd never envisioned myself saying, Cole is once again doing what pleases him most, and it's marvelous.

At the end of this stunning winning streak, which was having me worried about how much more they could make it last, 'Pavor Nocturnus' is indeed as close as a misstep as they get. I was looking forward to hearing Roscoe's clean vocals again, as they were somewhat neglected after 'Drift Away', but they don't quite impress here with a lead role. Actually, vocals are hit or miss for the entire track, going for some weird, deranged delivery. And I'm really struggling to remember anything about 'Quietus' several listens deep. In both cases, the twists and turns in the middle parts are still worth coming back to, especially the latter's neat flute solo. Luckily, 'Walk Amongst' brings the album back to its former dizzying heights – I challenge you not to get emotional as soon as the saxophone(!) enters the picture approximately two minutes in, with some weird, hysterical samples paving the way for another stunning refrain. The guest instrument, initially relaxing, soon precipitates into a frantic, vertiginous solo, reflecting the last sanity collapse and the realization of being trapped in the dream world (okay, I cheated, I did read a bit of it). I'm not sure I have a clear idea of what I just witnessed.

Reprising what I admitted earlier on, I have no clue whether "Etheric Realms Of The Night" represents another step for IATT in a long evolutionary process, a drastic change coming out of left field, or anything in between. Maybe it's for the better, for now, as it can be listened to and analyzed as the downright stupefying album it is on its own merits, rather than merely as 'a great album by a former metalcore band' as a sort of derogatory attribute. I can't stress enough how frustrated I'm left about its middle chunk, because the first three tracks and 'Walk Amongst' are likely to be the most stunning compositions I'll hear in the whole 2026, at the very least. Don't let this one fly under your radar.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10