It's fun going into songs blind. I listened to A Contemplation with no idea what genre it was going to be or anything, and as it started up there was an ethereal Japanese shamisen along with some spoken word. Given the title, I suspected I was in for a reflective and relaxed piece of music.
I was wrong.
After the speaker says "they drown us", no time is wasted before the BAH-BAH-BAH of the snare drum launches us into some extremely loud metal. The vocals scream and snarl and growl while the guitar chugs in a very noisy dirge.
It strikes me how good this all sounds. It sounds ginormous, and there are so many details in the guitar and the drums and vocal harmonies that slink in as subtly as they slink back out.
As for the lyrics, it's suitably morbid. As far as I can tell, the song is told from the perspective of someone who has just slit their wrists and is waiting impatiently for death to take hold. It's unlikely that you'll be able to make those lyrics out while listening to the track but the vocals are a trip anyway.
It all comes together in the final movement, which is ups the ante as guitar fills swirl around the vocals as they scream "Please just let me fucking die".
So it's not cheery, but it is fun. What makes the best metal great are the theatrics of it all, and this one is no exception. I had a great time listening to it and I think you might too, if you have the stomach for it.