Celestial Sanctuary return with Visions of Stagnant Blood, their first EP under Metal Blade Records—a release that showcases a band with serious instrumental power but also one grappling with noticeable imbalance. The musicianship is thick, forceful, and fully confident, yet the vocals lag behind, often feeling too unrefined to match the weight and precision of the instrumentation. It’s an EP defined as much by its promise as by its growing pains.

The title track, “Visions of Stagnant Blood,” wastes no time establishing the band’s strengths. The guitars come in with massive, carved-from-stone weight; the blast beats hit fast and hard; and the bass gives the entire mix a murky, punishing foundation. It’s dense, forceful, and mechanically tight—exactly the kind of sound death-metal fans show up for. But the vocals immediately reveal the main flaw of the record. They feel disconnected from the surrounding performance, sitting awkwardly on top instead of within the mix. The delivery comes across like someone still experimenting with extreme vocals rather than someone who has mastered their own tone—thin, uncertain, and lacking the depth needed to match the power behind the instruments. The track’s closing groove is crushing, but the lack of vocal presence prevents it from fully landing.

“Puddles of You Reflect the Filth Within” erupts with sharp, slicing riffs and tightly wound blast beats. In its faster moments the band sounds genuinely ferocious, showcasing strong songwriting instincts and an ear for intensity. Yet the track’s slower, heavier sections expose the same underlying issue: the vocals simply aren’t up to the level of the instrumentation. The contrast becomes even more dramatic here—the band playing with conviction and clarity, while the vocals feel amateurish and stylistically uncertain. With its extended runtime, the track struggles to maintain momentum because every shift in pacing puts a spotlight on the vocal limitations.

The EP finds its greatest potential in “Choking on the Rotten Seed,” the most dynamic and intriguing composition of the release. The opening salvo hits with the same heavy-speed attack as the earlier tracks, but the riffing quickly takes on a more mysterious, groove-laden character. The drums feel more expressive, moving between blasting intensity and rhythmic flourishes that add texture. Even the bass gets a brief, shadowy moment of emphasis that enriches the atmosphere. Vocally, there are flashes of improvement—especially when leaning into lower growls—but the inconsistency remains. You can hear the idea of what the vocals want to be, but the execution still lags behind. Still, the track is the one that best shows what Celestial Sanctuary could evolve into with a more fully realized vocal approach.

The closer, “Gavage of the Vile,” is the EP’s most ambitious but also its most vulnerable moment. It begins with a chilling, spacey intro that creates a sense of looming dread before exploding into dense drums and layered riffs. There’s real atmosphere here—an attempt at something more expansive and cinematic. But at nearly nine minutes long, the track magnifies the EP’s biggest issue: the vocals simply aren’t strong enough to carry material of this scale. The disparity becomes impossible to ignore. Around the 3:30 mark, the riffs and drum patterns noticeably simplify, almost as if the band is pulling back to make room for vocals that can’t meet the arrangement head-on. What could have been a massive, immersive closing track ends up feeling long, uneven, and restrained by its weakest element.

In the end, Visions of Stagnant Blood is a release defined by contrast. Instrumentally, Celestial Sanctuary sound more powerful and precise than ever—thick riffs, blasting drums, and a bass tone that hits like wet concrete. The band is clearly capable of creating heavy, atmospheric, and engaging death metal. But the vocals are not yet on the same level, consistently dragging otherwise strong songs down and preventing the EP from delivering its full impact.

The good news? The foundation is absolutely there. With stronger, more developed vocal work—either through refinement or reinvention—Celestial Sanctuary could transform from a promising death-metal act into a genuinely commanding force. Visions of Stagnant Blood isn’t a failure; it’s a loud, heavy reminder of what the band does well, and what they need to elevate before reaching the next tier.