Dancing Demons in the Grey-Lit Glade

Hordes of the Lunar Eclipse, the side project from members of Fog, has made its mark with harsh, experimental Black Metal. The music is constantly varying, making it hard to get your mind around the band as a whole. Because there's little consistency, the band avoids the common Black Metal pitfall of simply becoming repetitive after two or three songs, but it also gives the entire album a disconnected feel. The songs fail to flow very well, but this detracts from an overall impression of the album only slightly.

The entire album feels experimental and well thought out. From the almost rock and roll instrumental Beneath the Veridian Loche to the rough Gleaned of Gazes into the Shadow Mirror to the plodding title track, the album always has you wondering where it plans to go next. The album as a whole is a strong showing of Hordes, and it's a good taste of some of the more obscure Black Metal out there.