But even though KEKAL without a doubt are Black Metal, it is not a complete sound-inferno that awaits me here, but surprisingly differentiated stuff. Sure, at times they are crashing through the tropical forest of their home-country with a vengeance, but they don't only destroy everything, but do real songs.

What makes KEKAL differ from the rest of the black horde is the fact that they put more emphasis on variety, musically as vocally. Crunchy and fast attacks meet melodic songs, hefty screeching goes hand in hand with excellent clear vocals, in the course of the CD somehow the names MARDUK, GEHENNA (at "Malice"-times), BORKNAGAR came to my mind, but without having the Indonesians sound like any of these bands.

You could call the whole thing either "very wide spectrum" or "confuse", everybody will have a different perception of the whole thing, but I really like that they differ from the rest, especially by the use of the atypical clear vocals, only the hefty parts are too hectic and lacking melody for me to really please me like for example the excellent melodic "Crave For Solid Ground".

An interesting album, because it sounds different, but not a complete recommendation. (Online July 22, 2002)