Í BLÓÐI OG ANDA

I suppose that this album is for die hard fans of genre only. Because if this is meant for everybody, then there is mistake somewhere in between speakers and my mind. This is one big pain prolonged to about 60 minutes. With exception of instrumental songs like The Underworld Song that makes about 50% of this album, there are poorly sung songs. Yes, I can stand growls (now, I couldn't before), but this kind of vocals, where thread of singing is slipping out of singer's hands, where he cannot handle it properly, this is something I won't get used to.

Guitars and other instruments are average, nothing special and extraordinary remarkable. Why should they, when all casual fans of this genre is in this music contained. However, not to me, I'm somewhat more demanding "fan". Here, I'm more critic than to music I listen more. But that doesn't matter, because some facts are hard to deny. Like that Bitch in Black is perfect song with "normal" vocals this time, performed flawlessly (there's nothing I could voice against), but as I said, this is not majority of the album (nor minority). And the rest is just your default extreme metal from next door dragged down by vocals.

Tough call, because "second" half of this album is quite good. I like it, it's more calm, more acoustic like and I can appreciate more things here then.

3(+), I suppose, maybe little bit more, but not so much. Without first half, it would be almost 5-star rating.