Nergal - The Wizard of Nerath (1995)

In my search for more quality Hellenic Black Metal, from the early-to-mid 90s, I eventually ran across The Wizard of Nerath, by Nergal. I must not have given it my full attention when I first heard a song from this album, as I had no idea what an abomination this really was. I made a critical error in assuming that a Black Metal album, from Greece, released in 1995 would be a safe bet. I was dead wrong.

To begin with, the overall sound isn't bad. But, upon closer inspection, the album is not what it seems to be. It possesses a very similar production to Non Serviam, by Rotting Christ, and Eosforos, by Thou Art Lord. The majority of the riffs are similar, though rather generic by comparison. However, there are a few moments that make you believe that this listening experience is, indeed, worth your time. In all honesty, I would have accepted something that was similar to the aforementioned albums, while being inferior. I wasn't searching for anything so great and majestic; simply another decent slab of Hellenic Black Metal. Unfortunately, the keyboard use on this record is not done in a complimentary manner. As a matter of fact, instead of accentuating the atmosphere, it seems very out of place and even awkward, at times. I'm not one to advocate their use in the first place, but the Hellenic bands always appeared to have a firm grasp on the proper utilization of keyboards. That is not the case with Nergal. Still, even this could be overlooked. But one aspect of the sound cannot be overlooked, nor can it be forgiven: the terrible vocal performance.

It's not uncommon for vocalists to attempt to recreate the amazing vocal style employed by Varg Vikernes, on the early Burzum albums. The problem is that, almost every single time that I have ever heard anyone even remotely trying to emulate this sound, they end up creating something so bloody awful that I can't stand it, at all. Whereas Varg captured a very primal sound that added so much to the music, his imitators always manage to miss something and end up sounding like a little girl screaming at the sight of a spider. The first track, "Timeless Father", is a prime example of this. Usually, this horrible imitation is saved for lame so-called 'depressive Black Metal', so I am spared from such nonsense. It was quite unexpected on this album. There is a little variation in the vocals, but it's all annoying. It's so utterly irritating that I'd rather roll around in razor wire and set myself on fire than to ever even be reminded of this horrendous piece of garbage, ever again.

And while I am airing out my grievances with regard to this ill-conceived joke of an album, I have to wonder what place a track titled "Ljus Mörker" has on an album recorded in Greece by Greek musicians with no ties, whatsoever, to Scandinavia. But, considering the sheer aural terror of this horrific piece of "music", it's a rather small complaint.

In conclusion, The Wizard of Nerath is an album that is severely irritating at best, and beyond atrocious, for the most part. Avoid this cursed abomination like the plague, or like the Hellenic version of Cold Lake.

Death - Spiritual Healing (1990)

If someone put me on the spot and asked me to pick the one album that I feel is the most pure representation of what Death Metal is all about, the first thing I would think of is Scream Bloody Gore. With that album, Death managed to codify everything that Death Metal stood for. A year later, they built on this with their classic sophomore effort, Leprosy. Then, sometime in 1989 or 1990, Chuck Schuldiner began to lose focus and no longer displayed a strong understanding of the very creation that he had played such a crucial role in giving birth to.

The third Death record, Spiritual Healing, marked the beginning of a strange journey. Musically, this album wasn't too far off from the previous one. It's at this point that one can notice that this band progresses in a fairly even manner. Each album sounds like a mixture of the one before and the one after. At any rate, the main changes on Spiritual Healing were the vocals and the lyrics, themselves. There is an annoying vocal effect that is used, throughout the entire album, and it takes away from the atmosphere quite a bit. In the end, it could have been overlooked. But, more importantly, the lyrics took a completely different path from anything related to Death Metal. Instead of lyrics about zombies, gore and horror, we find lyrics that display some sense of social consciousness. The themes include abortion, drug addiction, religious hypocrisy, and even taking shots at those who had been speaking ill of him, personally. All in all, the lyrics have nothing in common with what he'd written for the previous seven years. Gone are the days of "Mutilation" and "Regurgitated Guts". Instead, there's nonsense such as "Defensive Personalities" and "Within the Mind", the latter seeming to be the result of reading too many New Age books. Some would argue that the lyrics and even the packaging are inconsequential and that the music is the only thing that matters. I strongly disagree with this. Ideally, everything should come together to create a certain atmosphere. Lyrics, song titles, album art and even band photos can all do a great deal to add to and accentuate the feeling being conveyed by the music. If one, or more, of these things is not in line with the rest then it detracts from the overall work. It's difficult to come to terms with an album like this one, as the lyrics are much better suited for their Thrash Metal contemporaries. Had Chuck decided to create a new band, around this time, it may have been a better idea in the long run. But to utilize the Death Metal sound and vocal style, yet produce an album bereft of any true Death Metal spirit, it marks a turning point in the career of this legendary band.

Beyond the lyrical concern, there is another matter that must be addressed. The songwriting is still what one would expect from Chuck Schuldiner. There is some progression from the previous album and, as mentioned, this would continue with each subsequent release. However, the music is not as enjoyable as it should have been and the problem has a name: Scott Burns. By this time, Morrisound Studio had become the place to go if you were a Death Metal band. Unfortunately, the employees of this studio were either very lazy or very arrogant. What I mean by that is that once they found a particular sound that they liked, they tried their best to never stray from it. So one could assume that they were too lazy to really put in the hard work to get the very best sound out of every band and to accentuate the individual strengths of each group, or maybe they were so arrogant that they felt they had achieved the 'perfect' sound for this type of music and saw no need to alter it. Compare Spiritual Healing to Blessed Are the Sick, Cause of Death, Deicide, Tortured Existence, etc. Some bands even came from overseas to get this sterile and cookie-cutter sound. Take a listen to Harmony Corruption and Testimony of the Ancients, for example. If you listen to all of these albums, you'll notice that everything seems to run together. In particular, the faster parts are completely interchangeable. The guitar tone and mixing of the drums is practically the same on every album, from around this time. It's not that all of the bands were trying to sound alike; in fact, each one had their own distinct approach to songwriting. The problem was that they all put their fate into the hands of an idiot like Scott Burns, who had no artistic vision, whatsoever. It was all paint-by-numbers for him, and the bands that went to Morrisound did what they felt they needed to, in order to get the sound that people had begun to expect. The typical Morrisound production job smoothed out any and all rough edges and left the end result neutered and 'safe'. Some classic albums were recorded there, but they were all held back by the horrible efforts of Scott Burns. Spritual Healing is no exception to this.

If you can get past the useless lyrics that have absolutely no place in Death Metal, as well as the sterile production, what's left is still quite a competent album with songwriting that is solid and interesting. There are a lot of good, memorable riffs. It can be said that this record is more for fans of Chuck's style of music and fans of Death, itself, rather than people looking for great Death Metal. This was the last album to feature the guys from Massacre. After the tame album that they took part in, they chose to focus on their own project and went on to record From Beyond. Chances are, you're better off picking that one over Spiritual Healing, if it's Death Metal that you are after.

Marduk - Fuck Me Jesus (1991)

Fuck Me Jesus is the first demo release by the Swedish Black Metal band, Marduk. It was recorded in Gorysound Studio and released in June 1991. Not surprisingly, Dan Swanö had a hand in the production of this release. It would be the first of many collaborations between these two. What may be unknown to fans of the band's later output, the sound here is closer to the first Edge of Sanity album than to the rising Black Metal bands in western Scandinavia. At this point, the band had much more in common with the Swedish Death Metal scene, regarding their sound. There is an abundance of thicker, doom-filled riffs that really show no influence from a band such as Bathory. Much like Darkthrone, Marduk didn't alter their sound until their second release.

The demo begins with the intro, "Fuck Me Jesus". Despite being nothing more than a forty-second sample form "The Exorcist", it does well to set the tone, in its own way.

The first real song is "Departure From the Mortals". Immediately, the opening riff sounds like something from Nothing But Death Remains. Soon enough, the mid-paced riffs give way to faster and more vicious riffs that are more in line with the Black Metal spirit, regardless of the production job. There's some minimal keyboard use, adding a bit of a horror feeling, late in the song. As was typical in the Swedish Death Metal scene of the time, its utilization is done in a tasteful manner and accentuates the dark mood being created by the riffs.

"The Black" is next, starting out with fuzzy tremolo riffs and somewhat of a fast pace. This, quickly, transitions into a pure Death Metal riff, complete with drumming. After a few moments, it reverts to a more blasting, Black Metal, approach. The vocals are really the only thing here that is consistent with the Black Metal vibe, as the music goes back and forth. That being said, the material on this demo is a hundred times more interesting than the later albums that this band would be known for. Andreas Axelsson does a good job with the vocals, conveying a frenzied feeling and earning his place as my second-favourite of the Marduk vocalists (just behind Joakim "Af Gravf" Göthberg).

The final full song is "Within the Abyss". It opens with another mid-paced and powerful riff, yet takes little time before things speed up. The sound has a little more crunch to it than on the version found on Dark Endless, which can be said of all the songs. Also, like the rest, the pace is dynamic and keeps the listener interested, doing a good job of creating a dark atmosphere. After all, that is the point. Somewhere along the way, they forgot how to write interesting music and became nothing more than a parody of themselves.

The demo ends with a decent little outro, titled "Shut Up and Suffer". The name doesn't exactly reek of intelligence, but track does its job and brings things to an end.

All in all, Fuck Me Jesus isn't an essential release, as the songs here are not far removed from the versions that would appear on their first full-length; however, it's an interesting listen for fans of the band's early work. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone that hasn't heard the potential that this band possessed, in its early years.

My Dying Bride - The Thrash of Naked Limbs (1993)

The Thrash of Naked Limbs marked somewhat of a turning point for My Dying Bride. It was recorded in September 1992 and released in early 1993, between their first and second full-length albums. The band's sound had been, gradually, improving with each release. However, this E.P. represented the birth of their classic guitar tone. This sound would remain with them for the next four or five years. It wasn't only the guitar tone, but the overall sound seemed to be slightly cleaner and a bit more full. Whereas the previous material still had more of a raw and harsh production, that which is found on here (and subsequent releases) is more refined. That's not to say that it lacks harshness. Aaron's vocals are still powerful and razor sharp, at times.

The E.P. begins with "The Thrash of Naked Limbs", and there is a dismal feeling present from the very first riffs. The violin accentuates this with its own sorrowful wailing. There is a sense of dread that exists in the riffs; Some songs may create an atmosphere of mourning but here you also get to experience the loss as well. The song is mid-paced and crushingly heavy, destroying your feeble spirit with ease. The brief bits of violin are much like icy daggers tearing into your flesh. There are several changes in pace, as the old tendencies to toss in faster Death Metal parts still remains. It's not as out of place as on earlier songs, and works well to create contrast between that and the absolutely lifeless riff that follows.

"Le Cerf Malade" is an ambient/instrumental track that utilizes some eerie effects to help set a dark mood. It's nothing exceptionally noteworthy, and I would not say that it stands on its own in any way, but it's not a bad addition to this E.P. As a part of the greater whole, it works fine.

The third and final song is "Gather Me Up Forever". It starts with a rather generic Death Metal riff before things slow down to a bleak and hopeless Doom riff. They seem to be onto something for a few moments, before the speed picks up again. I can appreciate the desire to add some sense of dynamics to this, but the faster riffs could have been shortened and still had the desired effect. The slow, miserable riffs are the ones that they should have expanded upon.

"The pain never stops"

In the end, The Thrash of Naked Limbs is a solid release, but I would say that only the title track would be deemed worthy of repeated listens. The original slimcase version of this is long out of print, so try to collect these tracks on the Trinity compilation.

Loss - Life Without Hope... Death Without Reason

Life Without Hope... Death Without Reason is the first demo release from the American band Loss. They play a style of Funeral Doom that shows strong influences from Worship and Mournful Congregation. Originally released in 2004, this demo came with a razor included in the package.

"Coffin Nails (Intromancy)" begins the demo with random feedback, screeching and a few stray bass chords. Perhaps the band was attempting to set the tone for the songs to follow, but it is rather pointless and adds nothing to the release.

The first real track is "Conceptual Funeralism Unto the Final Act (of Being)". It begins with a very mournful riff that takes the best parts of the bands that influenced them and creates something dreary and depressive. In a way, the style of riffs is more reminiscent of early My Dying Bride, as the sound is a little more dynamic than bands like Thergothon or Skepticism. The overall quality is fairly good, considering that it is a demo. It's clear enough for each riff to stand out and really have the desired impact, yet it still retains somewhat of a rough vibe. The vocals are the only real weak point. The style is that of a very deep and guttural whisper, similar in a way to old Incantation yet not as distinct. The band would have benefited from a vocalist with more range and ability to convey emotion through the vocals. Despite this, the song is very good for what it is. Later on, there's a riff that has an almost uplifting feeling and utilization of the typical Doom Metal drum fills. This is followed by a more sombre guitar melody that reaches into your chest and begins to crush your heart. The feeling is very epic and one can tell that the musicians have a very good understanding of what they were setting out to accomplish. Even the lyrics fit well with the music, though the actual delivery being the main setback. However, this is actually something that is common to the sub-genre.

The second, and final, song on the demo is "Cut Up, Depressed and Alone". From the very first note, you realize just why this release originally came with a fresh razor blade. The miserable guitar riffs wrap around you and begin to squeeze the life right out of you. Somehow, these melodies call forth every sorrowful moment that you have ever experienced, and it all washes over you at once. Even without the lyrics and the sub-par vocals, the music itself speaks to the listener on a deep level. You can feel the hopelessness and utter emptiness. After a few minutes, things become very silent and only a clean guitar remains, playing a very simple yet effective melody. Without realizing it, you may find that you've taken the razor and opened up your flesh. This transitions to another epic and depressing riff, as the blood escapes your veins.

The only real fault here lies in the execution of the vocals, but many other Funeral Doom bands are guilty of this as well, so there's no need to point a finger at this band, alone. Musically, the songs are very well constructed and dynamic enough to hold your interest while still being slow and lifeless enough to convey the feelings of despair and misery. Life Without Hope... Death Without Reason is a solid demo that is, unfortunately, the best work this band ever came up with. None of their subsequent releases have managed to live up to the potential shown here.

Burzum - Belus (2010)

This has to be one of the most anticipated albums in recent memory, comparable to the feeling that preceded the release of the last Dissection album. However, unlike Jon Nödtveidt, Varg Vikernes was repeatedly denied parole, thus his incarceration dragged on. It seemed as if it would be endless. Then, last year, he was finally free. He had been speaking for the past few years, with regard to a new Burzum release, stating that it would most likely sound like Filosofem. Regardless of which album was preferred, most fans were relieved just to hear that he intended to return to the Black Metal sound of his early works. While Dauði Baldrs and Hliðskjálf certainly warrant attention, they simply weren't the same. And so, in the winter months, Varg returned to Grieghallen to record his first album in over a decade. For many of us, this had been a near-unbearable wait. For others that had only just discovered the band, there was still a great deal of interest. Could the album possibly live up to the expectations that everyone had for it? Some were ready to praise it, no matter what it sounded like, out of loyalty to Burzum. Others were prepared to lambaste it, before even hearing it, because they dislike Vikernes as a person. For better or worse, many had shifted their attention to Belus, released on 8 March.

The album begins with "Leukes Renkespill (Introduksjon)", which is a brief intro that features the sound of a hammer hitting an anvil. Similar to Dauði Baldrs this album deals with the story of Baldr, though with a more developed approach. The sounds heard in the introduction are a part of this, but it still fails to prepare for what is to come.

"Belus' Doed" begins with an eerily familiar melody. This first song is a reworking of the track "Dauði Baldrs", and Varg has done an incredible job of maintaining the dark feeling present in the original and adding so much more to it. The first thing to notice has to be the vocal performance. Many people seem to have a difficult time with the vocal style from the early albums, though I actually prefer that sound to anything else that he has done. Incredibly, Varg himself looks back on these previous performances with some amount of disappointment. At any rate, there was much speculation regarding how he would sound, all these years later. Thankfully, the extremely distorted style used on Filosofem does not return. The vocals are similar enough to the old albums that one can instantly tell who this is, but they are a little deeper and more controlled. With that said, the vocals are very powerful and filled with conviction, matching the dark atmosphere of the song. The brief spoken word parts also add another dimension, accentuating the dismal mood. The production is a bit fuzzy and definitely not overdone, though the digital recording removes the openness that was present on the early albums. This mid-paced track is dominated by brilliant tremolo melodies that play over somewhat thrashy rhythm guitars. The bass is audible, though seeming to follow the main theme. If certain elements of this album have to grow on the listener, through a few listens, this song is absolutely the exception to this. The melodies and vocals are haunting and they permeate your subconscious on the very first listen. You will hear the death of Belus in your dreams.

"Glemselens Elv" is next, and the title translates to "The River of Forgetfulness". It begins with a tremolo riff alongside a loud bass line, before the drums and another guitar enter and carry the song forward. This is a nice way to build some tension and anticipation. As one would expect, this song is also rather mid-paced yet the tremolo melodies weave in and out of your mind, lulling you into a trance. At nearly twelve minutes, this is the longest song on the album and maybe the most hypnotic as well. The vocals feature a combination of harsh and clean, simultaneously, though the clean vocals are a bit lower in the mix. Everything about this screams Burzum, from the drumming patterns to the riffs, themselves. It's long been said that Varg has been one of the most copied musicians, ever, and yet no one has ever been able to recreate the magic in the same way. One can imitate the overall style, attempting to match the guitar tone or the vocal style, but not one single band has ever even come close. After about four minutes, the pace changes and another brilliant tremolo melody arises from the blackened depths. There's a refrain of clean vocals, used almost in a chant-like manner. The feeling is abysmally dark and dreary. A few minutes later, another soul-murdering riff emerges from the shadows and brings to the listener a slow death. On the first listen, this song was a bit difficult to sit through, as I was eager to get to the rest and hear what I'd waited for, for a decade. After repeated listens, the brilliance has unfolded, lured me in and enveloped all. It is also worth noting that, on this album, all of the lyrics are in Norwegian. In the past, of course, Varg utilized English as well, but it seems that he has rejected the use of the "international language".

The next song, "Kaimadalthas' Nedstigning", starts out with great intensity. The riffs are fast and thrashy, though still repetitive and somewhat droning. This continues the trance-like feeling present on the previous track. The energy level has increased and the urgency found in the vocals adds to this. There are calmer moments, with a single line spoken in a grave and serious tone. There is nothing uplifting about this. The sombre atmosphere of darkness and dread is ever-present and the cold hand of doom stretches out from the shadows, reaching for you. As the song progresses, the pace slows down and the riffs possess a cold and dreary feeling. You can feel the empty black hole growing within. As the song concludes, one line is repeated again and again, in an eerie manner.

"Jeg reiser til mørkets dyp der alt er dødt."

"Sverddans", meaning sword dance, tells the tale of winter coming under attack from the foul and disgusting summer. This song has its origins in the pre-Burzum project, Uruk-Hai. Clocking in around two and a half minutes, this one is the shortest proper song on the album. Some seem to feel that it is out of place, though it seems to make perfect sense, regarding its placement. The album has built in intensity, over the course of the previous songs, reaching sort of a climax with this track. Similar to "War", from the debut album, this merely adds another dimension to the album and displays yet more versatility on the part of the musician.

The next song possesses on the best riffs of the entire album. "Keliohesten" slowly rises from the nothingness, and then unleashes a brilliant tremolo melody upon an already exhausted listener. The drumming is fast-paced, suiting the main riffs, and the vocals are lethal in execution. The lyrics tell a depressing story, as the snow melts and winter is fading away. The horrible summer spirits celebrate their triumph. The cold riffs convey a deep sorrow, or perhaps they bring this to the surface; that which already resides in the dark recesses of your spirit. By the middle of the song, there is a thrashy riff that only serves as a transition back to the cold and deathlike atmosphere of the main theme. Though the sound isn't very similar, the structure of this song is somewhat reminiscent of that found on Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, to a small degree.

"Når snøen smelter gråter vi
vinteren har blitt beseiret"

Just when you feel safe from the utter black and the freezing emptiness of absolute oblivion, "Morgenroede" comes to plague you with such a life-draining and hopeless feeling that death soon calls your name. The song marks the slowing of the overall pace of the album, as it now makes its funeral march toward the end of all things. There is a sense of urgency in the first riffs, then turned to emptiness and sorrow with the coming tremolo melody. The pulsing of the bass is almost like that of the heart beating for its final moments, pumping out the remaining blood and bringing on lifelessness. Nothing lasts forever. All that which one finds meaningful in this wretched world will succumb to decay and death, in one form or another. Just like the snow will melt and winter recedes, all hope will fade to nothingness and emptiness prevails. After a few minutes, the final words spoken on this album then give way to a new riff, one filled with utter despair. The drumming reminds of that found later in "Tomhet", yet the atmosphere here is similar in its desolate and miserable feeling. The riffs become very repetitive, building the sorrowful aura and draining you of any and all life. One sees through illusions of optimism and positivity. There is none. These things are not real. They never were. They are but creations of man, much like gods, to try to trick ourselves and to avoid facing the bleak and harsh reality that is existence. It is meaningless and empty. The melodies found in this song are like freezing knives, carving the listener more viciously than the subject of an autopsy. You are laid open and bathed in misery and the horrible truth of the world.

And, finally, the album reaches its end with "Belus' Tilbakekomst (Konklusjon)", which is an instrumental that features very simplistic chords and riffs, yet it builds on the desolate feeling created by the previous song. It's very droning and repetitive, serving as the final journey into the endless graveland. Your corpse is dumped into the cold earth, forgotten and nameless, as your spirit is consumed by the great abyss of suffering and eternal torment. This isn't the end. This isn't the beginning of the end, yet the end of the beginning.

Belus may be the final death cry of the legendary Burzum, as Varg Vikernes may opt to disappear into obscurity. However, it may very well be a rebirth. While the overall feeling is undoubtedly Burzum, the sound is not identical to the classic albums. It seems, very much, like a time capsule from an earlier period and is about as close to the old output as any of the Norwegian bands are likely to get. Forget about the legions of bands that have attempted to imitate this style, over the years. Burzum has returned.

Katatonia - Jhva Elohim Meth (1993)

Jhva Elohim Meth... the Revival, was basically the reissue of a previous demo tape, now released on CD in a limited slimcase version by Vic Records. The material had been recorded a year prior, in the summer of 1992. At the time, this must have been quite a peculiar release. While the cover art is vague enough to have suited several different sub-genres of Metal, the overall aesthetics would seem to indicate that this was meant to have some relation to the Black Metal scene, which was growing in popularity throughout the region. There is a pentagram in the logo, the band members have pseudonyms (Lord Seth and Blackheim), and they are photographed wearing corpse paint. Even the song titles seemed to fall in line with this manner of presentation, and it all comes off as very odd. Of course, it is all merely a minor curiosity now. However, at the time of its release, this E.P. must have confused some people. Despite this misrepresentation, this isn't a bad release of Paradise Lost-influenced Doom/Death.

It opens with the brief intro, "Midwinter Gates (prologue)". The acoustic guitar and keyboard effects (handled by producer, Dan Swanö) do well to set a somber tone.

"Without God" is the first proper song. The mid-paced doom riffs are very reminiscent of Gothic-era Paradise Lost. There's also a bit of keyboards, which are louder than they need to be. This was corrected on the version that was recorded for the full-length. There is a hopeless feeling running through this, which would have been accentuated even more had the band slowed the song down a bit or done away with the more upbeat sections. This was always one of the drawbacks of early Katatonia, as the feeling wasn't always consistent. It may have been for the purpose of showing contrast between the two and making the more down-tempo riffs stand out that much more, but the execution of this idea was flawed. All in all, the song is memorable and possesses some nice riffs, but it leaves something to be desired regarding the oppressive feeling of doom that should have been the primary focus.

The next song is "Palace of Frost", and the influence of The Cure is quite evident in the first riff. It works well to create a sorrowful atmosphere, which is promptly interrupted by the riffs that follow. They're not bad, but they have no real feeling either way. Near the middle, another doom-laden riff appear, accompanied by a small touch of keyboards. There's a brief transitional riff that leads into a much more hopeless melody. Unfortunately, these moments are all too ephemeral. Where the band truly shines are the moments of despondency and utter despair. Instead of capitalizing on this, they are too quick to jump from one riff to another, losing the overall cohesion in the feeling of the song.

"The Northern Silence" is another track that could have added to the mistaken thought that this might be some Black Metal release, based on the title. A slow, depressive riff begins the song, before things speed up. The bass is loud in the mix, needlessly so. Again, the song goes from something with the potential to be dark and gloomy and morphs into something rather pointless. There is a dreary section where Lord Seth's raspy, near-Black Metal, vocals have a nice contrast with the clean singing of Dan Swanö. Unfortunately, the song is too brief and the actual doom element is not the dominant theme.

The E.P. ends with an outro, "Crimson Tears (epilogue)". This is a decent way to end the release, similar to the way it began. Ultimately, it doesn't add a great deal to the proceedings.

Jhva Elohim Meth... the Revival is a strange release, for a number of reasons. It has potential and is enjoyable. However, it lacks focus in several key areas. The aesthetics of their presentation are reaching for a Black Metal audience, for some reason. The music has its moments, but fails to make the most of the true moments of darkness and misery found here. The rifs are passed over too quickly, in favour of others that are infinitely inferior and serve only to disrupt the flow. They would go on to learn from their mistakes and to come much closer to making brilliant Doom/Death Metal on Dance of December Souls, though the same faults are found on that release as well, only somewhat contained.