Barren Canyon is loosely based in the region of the Canadian Shield, and draws inspiration heavily from the wild places in this region. The project is the primary concern of Thanat, in collaboration with Maikan (of Circle of Salt fame), both of whom are multi-instrumentalists whose roles within the group are fluid and joined on this album by Camille (of Smohalla, Astral Diadem, Dreams of the Drowned, etc.) on drums.

World of Wounds is an album that deals thematically with the inevitable and impending extinction of the human species (and many others), and our struggles on an ongoing basis to find the strength to continue living with this catastrophic burden It is also the recognition that the erasure of our species is a part of a larger cycle of eco-systemic adaptation and renewal, and therefore a necessity.