Here we have epic black metal from Finland (where else, since it's the national home of black metal, right?). This black metal has a plodding pace and soaring melodies, and comparisons can obviously be made to Bathory's Viking-era material. These comparisons would be correct, as acoustic guitars feature prominently just like on those albums, as well as an overall slower tempo with epic riffing. The occasional addition of synths for atmosphere is welcome, because this is otherwise a rather spartan, guitar-driven affair. The recording is raw, with a layer of mud over everything, but it serves to give the album character it wouldn't otherwise have, and makes it sound occult. The vocals are delivered in a reverb-drenched black metal style. The album picks up the pace with "Night's Black Wings," introducing some faster-paced Hellhammer influence, but after this song backs off into epic territory once again. It's a nice addition and saves us some level of predictability. I really enjoyed this record, and I've flagged it for repeated listens in my collection. I hope a label picks this up and spreads it far and wide, because it deserves attention, which I meagerly attempt to give it here.
