Abgründe

It doesn't surprise me to learn that the dude behind this is also in the purveyors-of-fruit Eluveitie. This is competent, and I enjoy it, but let's not kid ourselves; this is rather accessible melodic black metal and anyone who can handle harsh vocals would find this album fairly listenable. Nattens Madrical with better production and a slight power metal influence, perhaps?

Another way of putting this is that it's "not for the purists"; that's not meant in a cringe inducing 'open minded' sense- rather, as an acknowledgement that while this is definitely BM, is rather fast, has a lot of definite riffs etc., it's easily accessible and I guess you could say a bit bubblegum. There's a definite power metal and melodeath feel in some of the faster, palm muted riffs, in the catchy and easily identifiable melodies, and certainly in the tendency towards staying strictly to a minor key with no straying into chromatism or diminished flavours.

Said tendency towards melodic riffs and accessibility doesn't necessarily make this a bad album, of course. It's some of the most enjoyable BM I've heard in a fair while. It's been really well composed, with plenty of good tempo changes and clever use of dynamics, but when it comes down to it it's all about the riffs; and there's a lot of riffs here, most of which are really good. Like the best bands in this genre there's a nice balance between atmosphere and the delivery of good music (can't have the former without the latter).

At the end of the day, it's just a really listenable record. Lots of big riffs. Vocals that don't get in the way. Good songwriting, and a deft usage of the sparse clean parts. Solid production. Bubblegum-ness and fruity main projects aside, I found a lot to enjoy here. Well worth checking out.