Why, oh why can't melodic/romantic/vampiric black metal be more like this album instead of the audio AIDS perpetrated by faggots like Dreidle of Filth?!?!? Blessed in Sin is a French BM band with a few releases under their belt, including an earlier full-length and some split material with Kristallnacht and Seigneur Voland. On those other releases, they showed a level of polish and musicality that I found quite interesting - they actually successfully managed to work more technical aspects of metal into a black metal framework without losing that edge of darkness or wussing out. This latest album, though, "Melancholia", is a very high-class, quality piece of work that I found surprising even knowing what to expect from them. There's an almost thrash/speed metal quality to the riffing, but still retaining that peculiar French melodic sense that can make anything sound somber. Excellent drumming, tasteful keyboard use, and occasional quality leads all work their magic, and with a good sense of dynamics they craft songs that live up to the album's title. Vocals are of the slightly more gruff black metal style, pretty well done. Lyrical themes are on dark romantic tales, vampirism, and melancholic tragedies, dark without getting overbearing or gothic/whiny/gay/etc. Even though the styles are different, this made me think of Osculum Infame (circa Dor-nu-fauglith) as far as imagery/subject matter goes. I'd recommend this to those looking for something more adventurous and technical in underground black metal.

© 2003 lord vic