The sophomore effort by Duskfall is marked by great musical strides.

Source is still steeped in the melodic death metal of Duskfall, from the tiny Lulea, north of Sweden -- only more so.

First the sound, musically: the Duskfall are one of the most sophisticated, complex heavy bands to come from Scandinavia in a decade, led by the swirling, beautiful bludgeon of Mikael Sandorf's pile-driving riffing and Joachim Lindboch's razor-wire leads, as well as the explosively innovative drumming of Oskar Karlsson.

Anchoring all this is the bass hammer thud of Kaj Molin.

Songs are structured around complex riffs that open out onto multidimensional verses and bridges before circling back toward the center.

Guitars screech and crackle in the mix as vocalist Kai Jaakkola growls the devil to a draw with lyrics that can be taken seriously (when was the last time you heard that about a metal record?).

In fact, for as fierce as the Duskfall's attack is, and as over-the-top heavy, they are lyrically among the finest bands in the genre.

This is poetry with archetypal truth in it -- one listen to "Striving to Have Nothing," "Guidance," "The Grand Scheme," and "Lead Astray" will attest to this.

Most of all, the Duskfall are a unit, a powerful band with a punishing sound that keeps the notion of beauty, no matter how harsh and delirious firmly in focus.

Highly recommended.