Kev Rowland
Can it really be more than twenty years since these guys first started, and ten since their last album? Well, it is, and one just has to wonder why they have been away from the studio for so long as they have returned with an absolute monster. This is Black Metal at it’s finest, far more visceral and in your face than Cradle of Filth (to whom they have often been compared for some reason, although they are far more symphonic – possibly because original HE singer Jon was later in CofE as bassist before returning to HE for a while). Nothing fancy or experimental about this, this is traditional Black Metal that will blast its’ way into your head and stay there as you get hit by riff after riff, with the keyboards providing an overtone of menace as opposed to being a main player. This is all about the vocals, which are centre stage with the guitars coming a close second and the rhythm section just blasting away providing the bedrock for an incredible experience.
This is easily one of the finest British BM albums I have ever heard, with everything that one expects from the genre all brought together in a skull crushing package. If ones want to hear something a little sweeter and gentle then listen to the second half of the title cut, which also features a guest singer in the form of Sarah Jezebel Deva (now who did she previously sing with? Oh yes, that would be CofE), but that is just a short interlude until we go back to the job at hand which sounds even more brutal than it did before. If you enjoy BM then you will love this. Nuff said. www.crankrecord.com