Band: ADVERSUS

Country: Germany

Title: Der Zeit abhanden

Label: Sonorium

Year: 2010

Style: Gothic Darkwave

Review:

Third album for this German band founded in 1997. Adversus is swimming in Darkwave waters, at least on this release, because it seems that the band started out as a Gothic Black Metal band with Folk influences. The Gothic part is still present and is quite an important element in Adversus' music, honestly it reminds me of Lacrimosa's music. Clean, industrialized male vocals supported by soprano vocals here and there, synth backgrounds everywhere, romantic keyboards, synthetic drum machine beats, violins, quite a massive arrangement, but still the music sounds like it misses something more. The guitar work, although not bad, is completely ruined by the weak-ass guitar effects and low sound volume, if you like your metal loud this is certainly not your type of music. The innovative thing about this album is that it comes in a bundle: CD + book, the book being written by the band's vocalist, Rosendorn, in German language. I don't have the book so I can't say anything about it. So to sum it up the music inhere is calm, relaxing and quite involving, but compared to the amound of different elements and the complexity of instrumental composition, it sounds too average, there's nothing spectacular on it (maybe except the female vocalist's parts).

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6.5/10

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Band: ARVAKH

Country: France

Title: Art. 1 - La Haine par desuss Tout

Label: Le Crépuscule Du Soir

Year: 2011

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Damn, I had to check this CD a few times just to make sure it starts with the first track and there's no error on it, and this because the first track starts so precipitated that it makes you think the track started way before and this is the middle of it. So no intros, no melodic effects, no movie cuts, just plain brutal and fast Black Metal, I like that. Another interesting element in Arvakh's music is the use of multiple vocals layered on different tonalities, but keeping it Black Metal. The only problem here is the sound, that's too clogged, too stuffed so you'll have a hard time distinguishing what's happening inthere. The band names their style Symphonic Black Metal, but because of this sound I cannot hear sympho elements. Everything sounds weird inhere, but the general atmosphere is killer: dark, twisted, desperate and cold as ice. There are even some horrorcore influences on the second track, which is something I have definitely not heard on any other Black Metal release. I love this album for its originality, but if you're not open-minded enough avoid it!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: BENATNASH / SATANOCHIO

Country: Mexico / Romania

Title: Pandemonium

Label: Cytheron Productions

Year: 2009

Style: Medieval Black Metal / Avantgarde Black Metal

Review:

Benatnash opens this split CD with an intro and presents 3 of their own compositions. This is the project of female vocalist Salai Ereshkigal from Eidyllion, but the music on this project has nothing to do with Eidyllion's music, Benatnash is much more aggressive and based on Black Metal roots. The music is really good, reminds me of a few Medieval Black Metal bands from the end of the '90's, but unfortunately the drums, guitars and bass are too synthetic for this kind of music, I think they are computer generated which is not the most recommended option for presenting your music to Black Metal fanatics out there. The compositions are good and the vocals are dark, raw and fit very well such music, but I can't pass over the synthetic sound, sorry.

Satanochio are a band from my country, one of the most controversial bands ever in these lands, and I have to admit I'm a long-time supporter of their music and attitude. They have developed from a chaotic Black Metal band with lightly attitude to a technical, theatrical, intelligent Black Death Metal later on, and now they are testing new grounds, avangarde, progressive grounds in extreme metal, they cannot be labelled as a Black Metal band anymore. The first 2 tracks featured on this split are much more melodic, much more "new school of extreme metal" oriented than anything they did so far, only the last track, recorded live in their rehearsal room, reminds me of the "old" Satanochio. Anyway, progression for this band is obvious and I cannot tell you how curious I am of their progression from now on.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6.5/10   9/10

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Band: BENIGHTED IN SODOM

Country: USA

Title: Reverse Baptism

Label: BadMoodMan Music

Year: 2011

Style: Depressive Black Metal

Review:

New album of this so very prolific US project called Benighted In Sodom, a new album, but of course not the latest because there's also an EP and a new full-length released already after "Reverse Baptism". 7 tracks, an hour of playing, and with not much difference since the previous release, "Reverse Baptism" is a good depressing, atmospheric mid-tempo Black Metal release with good sound and a surprising lack of monotony in compositions. Judging it be the number and frequence of releases, Benighted In Sodom should be a third hand band, but its ability of creating and presenting these depressive atmospheres is really amazing. 

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: BRIARGH

Country: Spain

Title: Krigas

Label: Lower Silesian Stronghold

Year: 2010

Style: Pagan Black Metal

Review:

My first encounter with this band and their music... Briargh presents here their second studio album, a 7 tracks effort lasting for more than 40 minutes. Their music is somehow old-school, meaning they rely mostly on "normal" instruments (guitar, bass, drums) to create their own view on Pagan Metal. Slow to mid-tempo rhythmed their music is not the most technical around, but its organic sound gives Briargh a more barbaric-like aproach. The problem is they are not always Swiss-clock precise when it comes to execution so you're whitnessing quite a lot of mistakes (or at least they sound like mistakes) that bring this album down. Also the riffs are too repetitive and while they sound great at the begining of the tracks, they tend to get boring as time goes by. A plus for them would be the insertion of acoustic guitars and flutes here and there and also the complexity of the vocal part. Recommended only to the ones of you who are more into the barbaric atmosphere created by music rathen than its classy sound.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6.5/10

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Band: CAP DE CRANIU

Country: Romania

Title: First EP for a Surgery

Label: Morgue House Records

Year: 2007

Style: Death Grind

Review:

Wow, I have to say that Romania has been unleashing some brutal metal as of the last few years!  Cap De Craniu is in this category.  First EP for a Surgery is a brutal effort, and a good effort at that as far as pure crushing death metal goes.  From the doomy and guttural beginnings of "Zombie Alarm” to the speedy and crushing feel on "Lauren’s Shaving Kit”.  Production is well done for Cap De Craniu and I can’t wait to hear what comes from these guys next.  I don’t know too much except for they hail from Bucharest, Romania and this e.p. was released in 2007.  According to Encyclopedia Metallum the band are still active, and the members also have other projects going like Mediocracy, a five member band that play a style of Crust/Thrash/Sludge Metal.  Anyway, First E.P. for a Surgery has six tracks totaling 17:53.  All six tracks give the listener plenty of guttural vocals mixed with some Autopsy like screams.  The style varies…Lots of killer blast parts and sp

eedy guitar, and then comes the crushing slower parts and pure mayhem.  I loved it!  While others may think I am going a bit too far on this one I have to disagree.  When a person reviews several death metal releases each day it tends to get a bit  - redundant.  That is why when I hear a release that catches my interest and makes me want to hear more, I believe that release should be given a very deserving review, and chance!  Cap De Craniu is worth the listen, the e.p. is First E.P. for a Surgery on Morgue House Records.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: CORPSESSED

Country: Finland

Title: The Dagger & The Chalice

Label: Dark Descent Records

Year: 2011

Style: Death Metal

Review:

Corpsessed' debut EP, "The Dagger & The Chalice" is a 6 tracks effort lasting for almost 25 minutes. Old-School Death Metal, raw, low-tunned, dark and heavy, that's what you'll find on this release. Nothing innovative, nothing too complicated or complex, but I don't think that is the purpose of this band, they seem honestly involved in creating some brutal, devastating mid-tempo to fast rhythmed Death Metal the way it was done 2 decades ago, and from my point of view this sounds like the '90's Swedish Death Metal school with vocals a la Demigod ("Slumber..." period). Cool combination, but a bit more guitar solos and fast parts wouldn't hurt them on the next release.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: CYTOTOXIN

Country: Germany

Title: Plutonium Heaven

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Brutal Technical Death Metal

Review:

New band from Germany formed in 2010, Cytotoxin have already released their debut full-length album, the one I'm listening to right now. I wouldn't say this is a full-length as it lasts for 27 minutes only although it contains 7 tracks, but if this is how they want to label it, that's not my business. Technical Brutal Death Metal is their game and they really play it well, the only things I don't like on this CD are the sound of the snare drum (it sounds like hitting wood, nothing brutal about it), and the vocalist's pig squeals. I know the pig squeals are really popular nowadays but when overused they become laughable and in Cytotoxin's case, they bring down the tight guitar work and the groovy rhythms these guys manage to create. Anyway, the music is quite complex and the new wave of Brutal Death Metal listeners will surely feast themselves with all these rhythm changes and gurgling vocals. Another nice addition on Cytotoxin music are the old-school Death Metal riffs almost everywhere on this CD, so this combination will satisfy a large palette of listeners.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: DARK MESSIAH

Country: Greece

Title: Virtue and Glory Eternal

Label: Lost Symbol Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Nice surprise this Greek band, a band that's not quite new on the metal scene being formed in 2000, but that managed to release their debut album, this one, in 2011. Dark Messiah plays that kind of pure Greek Black Metal, mostly mid-paced, with fast rhythm insertions and overall having that cruel, raw but still epic atmosphere surrounding their music, and lyrics inspired by the Hellenic glorious past. It reminds me of the emotions bands like Necromantia, old Rotting Christ or Unholy Archangel were/are able to transmit to the listener. If you know how the genuine Greek Black Metal sounds, you have a good clue on what Dark Messiah is all abut. Great stuff!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: EREVOS

Country: Greece

Title: Descensus Ad Inferos

Label: Orkestral Promenade Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Melodic Black Metal

Review:

Although founded in 2004, Erevos managed to release their debut album only this year even though they have released a few demos and splits before as well. The problem is they are not composing so many tracks, some of the tracks featured on this album are also featured on their other demos starting 2006... Anyway, maybe finding a good label deal was the incentive they needed to start working some more on compositions.

The music on "Descensus Ad Inferos" can be described as somehow old-school (late '90's) Black Metal with a high dose of melody infused by the keyboard background and guitar leads/solos. Actually the keyboards are a key element in Erevos' music adding both the melodic parts and the weird, psycho atmospheres here and there. The guitars range from traditional Black Metal to Thrash and even Death Metal parts, the rhythm section is Swiss-clock tight and precise, and the vocals, even if not diversified almost at all (except from some Death Metal vocal insertions), give the music the aggressive touch it needed. All in all this is quite an interesting album that deserves your attention, Erevos is definitely not the typical Black Metal band.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8.5/10

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Band: EXELOUME

Country: Norway

Title: Fairytale of Perversion

Label: ViciSolum Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Thrash Death Metal

Review:

This is the first Full  lenght of the Norwegian band Exeloume and after two demos they have reached their first official step under Vicisolum Productions. This is pure Thrash Metal with modern sounds and I was surprised because the music is  more in American style but they are from  Norway. The album starts with a great intro that makes you so interested in going ahead to the next song. All the songs are played so well with very catchy riff and good solos, a nice voice completely inside the atmosphere , a drum that enhances the  rhythm, and the modern sound give you the right groove and power ( The recording, I can say, is faultless). I didn’t find big mistakes  in all the package and I’ve appreciated a lot the good work Exeloume did, well it’s nothing  original but I assure,  if you want to listen to  a good band that can play thrash metal  very  well, Exeloume will not disappoint you.

Reviewed by Rob Gore

Rating: 8.5/10

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Band: EXTINCTIONIST

Country: Germany

Title: World Extinction

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Brutal Death Metal

Review:

The German band Extinctionist was founded in 2007, by the former Philosopher guitarist Alex Pohl and after a Demo they released this album "World Extinction” (Brutal Death Metal with some Grind influences) composed of 12 tracks of about 31 minutes. Sincerely it was hard for me to listen this album again and again because it’s pretty confused and the pig squeal voice is annoying. Most of the times the guitar riffs, which are not bad, seem like thrown down without reasoning, I mean there is not a clear connection among the parts of the songs and I had the impression that everything was not checked enough. About the sound and recording there aren’t big mistakes. I don’t want to be bad, these guys know how to use an instrument but they have to work more on the structures, otherwise they won’t touch my emotions.

Reviewed by Rob Gore 

Rating: 6.5/10

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Bands: FEN / DE ARMA

Country: UK / Sweden

Title: Towards The Shores Of The End

Label: Nordvis

Year: 2011

Style: Atmospheric Black Metal / Post Rock

Review:

Intereresting split... Fen from England play a deep, dark and atmospheric sounds, but this is not boring, this is really atmospheric. Long three tracks based on blackmetal, but far, far advanced, with electronic and neofolk motifs. The last track of Fen’s part of this split is a classical neofolk song with guitar and typical neofolk sadness... However Fen’s music is really great, really doing a mood of nostalgia, but without without cutting the razor blades. 

De Arma’s part is rather boring, powerless... This swedish project try to connect simply sounds a la Burzum with stylized singing at funeral songs or sth like this. Three track, identical as the drops of water. Nice idea (in theory) but poor execution. Fortunately, only three pieces of De Arma was added on this split, pity that no between Fen’s tracks.

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 7/10

Band: FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE

Country: Italy

Title: Agony

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Year: 2011

Style: Technical Death Metal 

Review:

Name of genre called „Technical death metal” does not reflect fully music of Fleshgod Apocalupse. The newest album „Agony” is a pure masterpiece. This is perfect combine of clasical music and blasting death metal! I heard some band, which connect clasical/opera/symphonic music with metal but „Agony” is one of the best. This is an extract of the Wagner’s music and an extract of death metal. Drummer is a „supersonic” man, classical part of violins is masterfully matched with percussion, fast and fury guitar’s riffs and growl/quasi opera’s vocals. This material makes an impression by its momentum, incredible  technique of playing and speed... Ths material absorbed in the ear in its entirety and without pain, it crushes painlessly... but effectively! When the 9th track was ending, just started the title track, Agony... And this is the most shock, kind of catharsis. This piano’s solo is a quintesence of this album. Perfect, perfect, perfect !!! 

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 10/10

Band: FORMALDEHYDE

Country: Portugal

Title: God's Will

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2009

Style: Death Metal

Review:

From the land of Portugal comes Formaldehyde, yet another strong band of brutality.  Now don’t let the band’s name fool you.  Yes, they are death metal, and they play some brutal stuff, but at the same time there is a lot of technicality in the playing.  Everything is on this release - speedy guitars, crushing parts, and blast beats.  There are also different elements of even a progressive style of technical playing.  I can’t really explain it, but it is there.  This isn’t just another run-of-the-mill death metal band growling as low as they can.  Formaldehyde play a great style of technical brutality in a very guttural way!  It is awesome.  For example, check out Tracks like "Awake your Enemy” and the title track "God’s Will” for some good technical playing mixed with the brutality that death metal is meant to have.  A polished effort coming from Formaldehyde.  There are seven tracks in all and playing time is 22:35.  All seven tracks show how well these gu

ys have progressed over time.  I am interested to hear what comes next, and I also would like to hear the other band named Shadowsphere.  So, for fans of brutal technicality check out Formaldehyde’s release entitled God’s Will.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: GENIUS ULTOR

Country: Poland

Title:  Dzien Nocy

Label: Ataman Productions

Year: 2010

Style: Black Death Metal

Review:

This material was recorded in spring 2009 and realased in 2010. All lyrics in Polish relate to „paganism” in the embodiment of war’s face. Burning churches, anti-religion, anti-humanitarism, blood, neverending war, screams, merciless killing of enemies and sth like this with used a lot of dirty words, these are Genius Ultor’s lyrics, a little naive in my opinion. Music is a simply black/death with furious blasts/gun machine drums, simply and fast guitar riffs, in one word: just the core of brutal music, but beetween tracks we can hear some post-industrial/dark psychodelic sounds like factories noise, church’s bells, sirens, trains, steps, play piano in bar etc. These sounds are the most interesting in this album and these are the most interesting on the album. Summary: tipical war black death with interesting post industrial influences. I’d forgotten: two last tracks are little different, „Zdrada” is very good groovy death metal piece, „Agonia” is a doom-black with shizophrenic vocal.

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 7.5/10

Band: GRIMNESS 69

Country: Italy

Title: The Bridge

Label: Rising Nemesis / Sevared / Butchered

Year: 2010

Style: Death Grind Metal

Review:

Formerly on Xtreem Music, Grimness 69 decided to release this third album of theirs on three different labels, 2 from the US and 1 from Germany, so they have pretty much covered the distrubution for Europe and North America. Good idea! The CD has 17 tracks listed, but honestly I don't understand the meaning of tracks 9 to 16 which are 5 to 29 seconds long pieces of... silence, there's nothing on those tracks and to me it just looks like a waste of time and space, and on the other hand I would listen to this in my car it would certainly not get more than 1 spin... The music is Death Grind, but not the most brutal around, the band concentrates on creating some melodic parts to break the monotony, and they succeed, the almost 40 minutes flow seamlesly portraying a band that likes to build structures rather than demolish them. The only things I don't like are some parts where the guitars have a very raw, simple and uneffective sound, and also the drums sound which sometimes is too synthetic. Except for that Grimness 69 is a good band, give them a try.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: HEAVY LORD

Country: Holland

Title: Balls to All

Label: Solitude Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Stoner Doom Metal

Review:

Third album for this Dutch band, "Balls to All" is a weird combination of Stoner and Doom Metal that has as highlight the heavy guitar tone, but except for that there is not much cohesion between their tracks, it almost feels like they are trying to be a kind of band they are now and that tends to get boring after a few tracks. The vocal tries lots and lots of tonalities and that can be appealing to some listeners, there are some '70's type of guitar solos thrown inthere too, and also some non-sense improvisations, so taht's why I'm saying this is a weird stuff. I would buy this album for that fat guitar tone only.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6/10

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Band: HOPES OF FREEDOM

Country: France

Title: Freedom Storm

Label: selfreleased

Year: 2010

Style: Folk Power Metal

Review:

Hopes Of Freedom were formed as a band in 2007 but only managed to release their debut EP in 2010, so one might think there are a lot of tracks on this one, but that's far from the truth. "Freedom Storm" contains 4 tracks, but to be more precise only 3 tracks since the opening one is a short intro. Anyway, the tracks are long enough to make this last for more than 20 minutes. Fair enough. Hopes Of Freedom is combining traditional Power Metal with Folk Metal, but this happens on the third track only, so it would be better to call them straight Power Metal and loose the Folk mention in their genre. The music is quite enjoyable, melodic, catchy, and has the benefit of some very talented guitarists that manage to give energy to this poor produced recording. The vocals are perfect for the Celtic inspired parts in their music, but they are too shy for the rest. A good debut, but not powerful enough to leave marks. Also I should mention the awful, childish cover artwork, maybe these guys need to be more serious...

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6.5/10

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Band: HELLSCOURGE

Country: Brazil

Title: Hell's Wrath Battalion

Label: Dybbuck Records

Year: 2011

Style: Black Death Metal

Review:

Debut full-length for this new Brazilian band founded in 2010. Hellscourge is 100% old-school, nothing on this release will make you think this is a new band: the sound is dirty, analog-like so there's no link with the digital world of Today, the music is fast and devastating, very well curdled for such a young band, and the style of playing their Black Death Metal makes you think of early monsters as Venom, Sodom or even better, their country men from Sarcofago. Fast, raging, thrashy and dirty, the songs are good, the guitar riffs and solos are excellent, the vocals are comprehensive enough, but the sound in this case is not a plus. Recommended only to the most avid old-school followers out there.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10

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Band: HELLVETO

Country: Poland

Title: Wiara, Nadzieja..., Potepienie

Label: Pagan Records

Year: 2010

Style: Orchestral Pagan Metal 

Review:

Hellveto is a monolith and one-man band (L.O.N.) from Kurpie, city: Ostroleka. This is very interesting region in Central Poland near Mazovia, this part of Poland has rather unknown, but very interesting folklore. Hellveto from the beggining have been based on its regional folklore, that is why Hellveto’s sounds are characteristic for this project. All LON’s albums included original sounds, little pathetic, majestic – but these are included a lot old slavonic atmosphere and mistic motifs. Closer to Negura Bunget than to Burzum – and this is very well!  „Wiara, Nadzieja, Potepienie” means „Faith, Hope, Condemnation” and these are perverse reference to catholic doctrine „Faith, Hope, Love”. Hellveto’s lyrics based on slavic heathen ideology (but this project is not nsbm) and title of album is a manifestation of it. All tracks are long, included a lot of atmospheric sorrow and mysticism, this album included much more folk and folklore elements than earlier albums. The last part of „Wiara, Nadzieja, Potepienie” sounds like it was music from movie about ancient Slavs, times before christianisation, old oaks swathed in mist... Hellveto more talks by music than vocal or lyrics. „Wiara, Nadzieja...,  Potepienie” is a  typical album of Hellveto - but untipical album of Eastern Europe’s pagan metal.

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 9/10

Band: INQUISITION

Country: Colombia

Title: Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm

Label: No Colours Records

Year: 2010

Style: Black Metal

Review:

One of the most important names, if not the most important name for the South American Black Metal scene, Inquisition are back with a new (fifth) album after a 3 years wait since their previous hit "Nefarious Dismal Orations". Dagon, one of the two actual members, and also the founding member, has one highly distinguishable vocal timbre which strangely enough I haven't heard anyone hate so far. They work perfectly with the band's twisted but also very melodic type of Black Metal, and the good thing about Inquisition is they are not relying on these unique vocals, the guitar riffs inhere are absolutely delicious, the guitar solos are ones of the best I've heard in Black Metal, the fast, brutal Black Metal parts are devastating, and the overall atmosphere kinda makes you give them credit as creators of "this is how it should sound" Black Metal music. An album I recommend to all of you, it's great!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 10/10

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Band: INQUISITOR

Country: Lithuania

Title: The Quantum Theory of Id

Label: Forgotten Path Records

Year: 2010

Style: Avantgarde Black Metal

Review:

Debut album of this Lithuanian band founded in 2002, so it took them quite some years to get the ball rolling. Speaking about the visual aspect of this debut album, I can say it was worth the waiting: very professional Digipack CD containing the lyrics of this conceptual album. The concept behind this release is very interesting if you're into metaphysical themes, the 4 tracks are each divided in 3 parts, so we actually get 12 track on "The Quantum Theory of Id", plus  along intro narration that somehow preface the lyrics' themes. The music is progressive, avantgarde Black Metal, focused on the Technical side more than on the aggressive, brutal side of this genre, but also adding quite a lot of melodic touches (slow to mid-tempo rhythms and piano parts). Interesting music, good instrumental skills and complex compositions; the only thing that's kind of missing is a bit more diversity on vocals, even though there are some growls here and there the Black Metal screams become a bit vapid and insufficient for this music. If you're into discovering new territories in Black Metal you might give this band a try.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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