With their previous release, Prelude to Extinction, Final Resting Place hinted at their potential: dense, crushing riffs, relentless drumming, and an atmosphere that leaned unapologetically into extremity. Bound by Affliction continues in this vein, yet it remains a study in contrasts — a band with a clear musical vision battling against production choices that often obscure it. The result is a heavy, oppressive experience, one that feels like it’s clawing to emerge from a thick, murky fog.

The album opens with “Psychosis,” a track that best captures what the band is aiming for: a warped, distorted haze that evokes the fractured mental state its title suggests. Dark, brooding, and hypnotic, it establishes an atmosphere that draws the listener in, hinting at the fully realized heaviness Final Resting Place can achieve. Yet as the album progresses, the clarity that makes “Psychosis” so compelling begins to fade.

Throughout Bound by Affliction, there’s a sense of power lurking beneath the mix. On “Descent to Dementia,” the snare snaps sharply like a whip, while the riffs lumber beneath a fog of muffled tones. The bass rumbles with undercurrent authority more than audible definition, and the vocals — brutal and ferocious — often dissolve into the low-end chaos. This could be an intentional aesthetic, a suffocating wall-of-sound meant to evoke tension, but it sometimes comes at the cost of the band’s individuality and the impact of their strongest elements.

Tracks like “Forbidden Knowledge” make the production challenges most evident. The drums are sharp, dynamic, and genuinely compelling — providing something tangible to latch onto — yet the guitars and vocals are buried so deep in the mix that the song feels distant, as if played from another room. Even breakdowns, which should hit with raw intensity, are softened, blunted by the layers that pad the overall sound.

There are glimpses of what tighter production could achieve. “Burning Revelation” offers punchier riffs and satisfying snare fills that make it one of the more listenable tracks, though the vocals still feel trapped in the background. Similarly, the title track, “Bound by Affliction,” leans into a raw, demo-like sound reminiscent of underground 80s tape-trading. While this lo-fi aesthetic may appeal to some, it mostly amplifies the frustration of hearing such potential partially buried.

What both Prelude to Extinction and Bound by Affliction share is an unwavering commitment to heaviness. Dense riffs, hard-hitting bass, and relentless drumming remain the band’s core strengths. But while the previous EP suggested a band on the cusp of refinement, this full-length doubles down on production choices that often undercut the force of their performances.

Final Resting Place clearly possess the capacity for brutality, atmosphere, and sheer weight. When these elements break through the haze, it’s evident the band is pushing toward something unique and compelling. Yet, much like staring through the fog of “Psychosis,” the full vision of Bound by Affliction remains blurred — a tantalizing promise awaiting the day their sound is liberated from the very production that currently muffles it.

Rating: 5/10