ROADS TO JUDAH

I don't often write reviews here, but felt compelled in this case. This is a truly exceptional album. Other "atmospheric black metal" acts have garnered a lot of support here (e.g., Altar of Plagues), and while I like those bands, this takes the genre to a completely different level. Things are happening at breakneck pace here, for much of the record, but in layers -- there's a complexity here, of the sort that invites metaphors such as "this is like a tape of a melodic black metal band weaving a rich tapestry of sound, but played on fastforward." Brutal, intricate, yet emotionally compelling.

This is what progressive music should be. 5/5