VIRSTELE PAMINTULUI

The organic and inorganic are here intertwined to an extent hitherto unseen in the atmospheric black metal genre. As the previous reviewer noted, these compositions exhibit an ethnic, folk foundation. I would argue that this is black metal with the structure of folk music; black metal is the canvas upon which rich, ethnic oil paint is slathered. This is by far the most "progressive," multifaceted, and unconventional black metal album I've encountered.

This is likely to polarize opinion and, as such, draw an undeservedly mediocre rating. Fans of "Om" will either love this album for pushing the boundaries, or be disappointed that it lacks much of the melodic black metal core of the previous work. This promises to be one of the darkest albums of 2010, at any rate.