This album is great. There're many ways to explain it, but I'll suffice to say that Rotting Christ, a band known for excellence, peaks here. And here's why:
We have here the convergence of two musical directions for Rotting Christ: the one in the early/mid nineties that produced Triarchy through Sleep of the Angels, and the trend towards doing more black metal stuff, which the last 3 albums demonstrate. Here, we get the best of both worlds; resulting in synergy. True synergy, meaning the best of both worlds with none of the drawbacks, such as the excessive commercialism of Dead Poem to the mundanity of Sanct's Diavolos.
It's melodic, as we know Rotting Christ to be, but the melody is driven by active guitar leads, backed up by the keyboards, which is the RIGHT way to do melodic in the world of melody. It's influenced as much by Iron Maiden as it is Bathory, a great combo that drove bands like Dissection and Dawn towards greatness. Here, it is slower. Much slower. To the point of being much, much, darker and depressing. While it is dark and depressing, it is beautiful. Very beautiful.
So when you examine it, this has everything: good, memorable guitar lines, kickass guitar tone, competent but not wanky drumming, oodles of keyboards, guitar solos, permeating dark atmosphere, and of course, Sakis' famed vocals. My, my, my, are they good. Then again, that has never been an issue for Rotting Christ.
Summary is, get this album, the songs on here are gods among kings, glorious but'solemn hymns emerging as the great'st among the great.
