I always find it interesting when one band can be found inside another, and that is what we have here as M. Czerwoniuk (vocals, guitar, keys, organ), T. Horrocks (drums, guitar, keys, synth) and D. Shaw (guitar, backing vocals) are also known as Aggressive Perfector, which leaves just E. Troup (bass guitar) as the person who makes this a different band, although musically the two are not the same at all. Here we have the fourth album from a band who are mixing together black metal with heavy metal with quite a strong gothic feel, and the result is something which to my ears sits in multiple camps and is not always sure where it needs to be.
There are times when the only black metal influence is from the vocals and the dark cold overtones when the music is more straight forward power metal, while at others there are definitely black metal style riffs taking place, even moving us solidly into the likes of Darkthrone and Sentenced. It does make for somewhat confusing listening, as my ears are having some problems making sense of it as there are times when the vocals do not fit the underlying music, or the other way around, and yet there are others when it just works. The PR company says this is for fans of Tribulation, Paradise Lost, Samael, Dissection, Tiamat, Melechesh, and Rotting Christ, yet there are guitar harmonies in here which have much more in common with Saxon, Iron Maiden, and other luminaries of the NWOBHM scene. That it is interesting is never in doubt, as for being essential, that is something else altogether, but still worth checking out.
Rating: 7/10
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