Магла

On the one hand, the Stone aren't reinventing black metal - you'll hear traces of all the usual suspects on this album, especially a healthy dose of Immortal. On the other hand, the atmosphere and mood here is not just distinctive: it's singular. The keyboards manage to avoid the circus-like sounds that make so many black-metal-with-keys albums sound ridiculous, and the riffs are varied without seeming confused. Once in a while - oddly enough, on the opening track - a riff will sound like it wouldn't have been out of place on a Deep Purple album, and while it's a little confusing to hear quasi-blues riffs on a BM album and they don't always work, this almost adds to the overall success of the album.

Because the problem in black metal since the end of the 2nd wave has been a lack of originality - slavish devotion to genre standards makes for boring albums. Magla isn't boring - it sounds like the Stone are genuinely interested both in making a great album in their chosen genre and in stretching the parameters of the genre just a little bit, and that makes all the difference.

It's been noted by everybody who knows this band that the drumming is outstanding, and that's the case here, too - blasts alternate with creative and thoughtful approaches to BM rhythms to provide a solid foundation for some truly extravagant and harsh tunes. And again, the atmosphere - the choices made in guitar tone, overall sound, and mood - are so in-pocket as to give Magla a personality all its own. How many recent black metal albums can you say that about? Highly recommended.