When the opening notes of any album have me wondering whether DARK FUNERAL has a twin somewhere, there is a serious problem. The flat, bland melodies blend seamlessly into each other and are intertwined with vocals of equal tedium. I had to check twice to make sure I hadn’t placed "Vobiscum Sathanas" into the noise machine.

Although things change, particularly with significant variations in tempo, the band never really does enough to distance themselves from the initial bad impression because 90% of the faster sections reek of the DARK FUNERAL norsecore mediocrity. However, an equal amount of the album is driven by a mid-paced groove and cheerless interludes that are much more rewarding. Moreover, when they allow the rhythm greater importance over the melody, their countrymen ENDSTILLE can be seen as a strong influence.

Fans of DARK FUNERAL’s relentless hyperblasting and melody should check this out because it is not as limited due to a fair degree of structural dynamics, but the balance in quality between the poor Swedish styled melodic hyperblasting and the, still quite average, sections of a more moderate pace is just on the wrong side of mediocre. Occasionally they get it right, with "Requiem Aeternam" having a consistent and strong atmospheric presence and sections of "Purgatory" showing a decent groove. Alas, these sections are too few to create any lasting impact, leaving the whole venture floundering in its own futility.

(Online May 23, 2007)