...Medieval Art

If you know all the bands that Stefan Kozak is associated with, then you probably also know that all these bands are excellent, that they have huge classical influences, and that they never disappoint. However, when Stefan gets into a project, he usually writes the music. But in this project, not only does he do vocals, guitar and synth, but some other musicians are there to contribute in songwriting. Therefore, this means that the music is quite different than the music you'll hear in Mystic Forest or Eikenskaden. The first thing you'll notice about this album is that it sounds rawer than Stefan's other releases, and it contains less synths, or piano interludes to be exact. This also means that this album contains less feelings than Eikenskaden or Mystic Forest, the acoustic interludes in this sound quite random at times, and don't have that special atmosphere or background noise that is given in the 2 aforementionned bands.

But don't start thinking Azerlath isn't talented. What we have here is still some excellent Black Metal, packed with riffs that are really heavy and are good for headbanging. The melodies pop in once in a while, as do the vocals. The classical interludes that have instruments like clarinet and such aren't too hot. Sure, they're well composed, but they're played with a synth, and therefore they lack feeling. That's what this album needs: an atmosphere to put the listener in a certain mood.

If you've never listened to Mystic Forest or Eikenskaden before (Or any other project related to Stefan Kozak), then Medieval Art will surely impress. But fans that are used to Stefan's music will find this rather disappointing. Still a great release.