Forsaken Symphony

I really enjoy this band's mixing of symphonic/necro black metal with a horn player, of all things. The horns add an extra level of depth and emotion not common to music normally so cold and hateful. Especially on opener "Last Stand"; how can you not catch the feeling of desperation conveyed by the song's protagonist during the slower sections when the horns come to the fore? And the keyboards are not as obnoxious and dominating as you may expect either--the actual keyboard sounds themselves are a bit cheesey, tho. Andras Nagy's vocals are of the old school Bathory style (the glass-gargling scream/croak approach), and suit what they're doing very well. The production is dirty and ugly, but highly appropriate and you can even hear the bass (unusual for black metal) pretty well--Andras even plays harmonics at the end of "Last Stand", demonstrating a level of technical ability normally unseen in black metal. The rest of the songs roar by in a vicious barrage of mythology-inspired rage and there are few solos in the guitar department-mostly just riffage, but the occasional solos that pop up do show some technical ability as well as taste. I look forward to hearing more from this band in the future.