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Black metal... but not as we know it - 68%
This album is strange in many ways. First of all it is most definitely black metal but it is very melodic in a traditional metal sense. Some of the riffs wouldn't even seem out of place on a 1980s Iron maiden album!
Secondly the production of the drums is terrible. They sound like children's toys being clinked together, and I am sure that we can all agree that a black metal band's drums should not sound like that!
Other than the production, everything on this album is great. The vocals of Jose Costa remind me slightly of Nattefrost from Carpathian forest, although he certainly has individuality.
The guitar on this album is a true breath of fresh air, sounding very melodic and slightly like power metal. Some of the riffs, such as the main chorus riff of 'By the wyvern we flowed', are very majestic yet they still fit in with the overall black metal feel of the album, sometimes even reminding me of Drudkh's guitar solos.
the keyboards on this album are slightly hit and miss. They usually add to the atmosphere but on some tracks such as the instrumental 'Mei lacrimae in tenebrae' where they are the dominant instrument they come across as being slightly cheesy in a bad way. On heavy tracks such as 'The shadow gate' however, the keyboards blend well with Sacred sin's guitarwork and create a truly majestic atmosphere.
I would recommend this album to most fans of black metal and some fans of traditional metal, though purists of either genre might not find it to their liking.
