Pray for Death

This is the fifth full length from these grim and frostbitten Hungarians. After a typically haunting intro (reminiscent of Sunn O))) al la Black One) it launches into the icy dirge of 'Örök Álmok'. An epic composition verging on the 20 minute mark it weaves a simple web of depressing melody built around the repetitive guitar lines and pounding drums. The buzzing repetition pulls you across the frozen wastes, as if the Frost Giant's Daughter herself were enticing you to follow. The misanthropic, snarling vocals of Shadow seeth with hatred, offsetting the hypnotic beauty of the driving guitar. The song closes amid screams of anguish atop the ever flowing melodies. This is truly desolate beauty.

Somewhat unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't follow the template set by the opening track. An unrelenting black metal assault follows, stripping your skin like a blizzard of ice shards. It is only the soothing, slow burning closer that allows you to regain your breath, perhaps seeking the comfort of a wood fire in an isolated log cabin. The only issue here is the slight lack of variation. The depressing beauty of the opener is followed by a nigh on half hour onslaught, which left me slightly disappointed. 'Átérezni A Halált' has its moments, but a change of pace and/or slightly shorter tracks would have held my interest for the entirety of the album, rather than just the first half.

For fans of all things necro this is still well worth a listen. If you like your black metal cold and unrelenting, this is a good album. However, with slightly more variation from the other tracks it would be an excellent album.

This is a great follow-up from the last cd which was also quite good, but lacking the energetic-yet-still dismal pulse of this album. The songs all merge together well to create a whole entity and a solid listening experience. Experienced fans of Dusk will appreciate the consistency of the sound and the vocals here are as chilling and as evocative of despair and frosty darkness as always. This is haunting, malicious and fucking necro black metal, completely devoid of any concern for human life, and though this time the lyrics are all in the band's native Hungarian language, it's pretty safe to say that they reflect this attitude...
The epic nature of Dusk's songs also remains this time, with the second track being nearly 20 minutes in length (though without seeming at all repititious or boring to me) and the rest keeping near 10 minutes long. The riffs are true black metal quality, simple but effective and if not exactly memorable, at least very sick and effective. The cd is released in a limited edition format, with a grim logo patch and metal case for hardcore fans, so if you are one, you should be ordering this great album now!
Standout tracks: All of 'em! 100%