I expected way too much of this CD, as ‘The Secrets of…’ was a masterpiece and I thought this CD would be also. Hell, for a band that boasts as much as they do it better be a damn masterpiece… Look at these ridiculous quotes:

‘I can say that Dark Funeral is, by far, the biggest band on the Swedish Black Metal scene today’
‘We are one of the only Black Metal bands with players who know how to use their instruments.’
‘I needed to change the line-up to achieve world-domination’
- Lord Ahriman

Does this guy sound like a conceited idiot or what? No wonder so many people left the band! As far as music goes, let’s break it down:

Guitars: For a band that ‘knows how to use their instruments’ they’re definitely not showing it here. The guitars sound like shit, the riffs are one-dimensional, and any sort of song structure is non-existent. A far cry from their older material… Poor – 4/10

Vox: I don’t see why some people have such a problem with the vox on this CD. The Emperor Magus Caligula doesn’t sing badly, not as good as Themgoroth perhaps, but quite good nonetheless. The vox are quite high and rasped, and quite standard… nothing extraordinary or experimental, but not bad at all. Nice – 7.7/10

Drums: This is, in my opinion, the best aspect of the CD. The drum playing is very good on this album. This drummer is much better than their last and has a very fast and brutal style that fits the music perfectly. Superb – 9.9/10 (It should be noted that the band recently kicked out this drummer. This band really has a hard time keeping members…)

Production: The guitar sound is generally harsh and ‘evil’ but are pushed to the background, as the drums and vocals are considerably louder. I didn’t like the way the guitars were produced on this album at all, in my opinion they should have been louder and a bit clearer, besides that, it’s mostly the guitar PLAYING that annoys me. The drums, on the other hand, sound great and have an exceptionally clear and deep sound. The vox are also (somewhat) well produced. The astute reader can probably tell, by now, that the production is completely out of proportions on this album. Sub-Par – 5/10

This CD is a real disappointment. After a great CD like ‘Secrets…’ I expected another great CD, and instead got a completely generic Black Metal disc. This CD is definitely not worth all the attention it’s getting in the Black Metal scene and it’s not worth the promotion it’s label is giving it either.

Pros: Drumming, Satanic lyrics, 20-ton digipak
Cons: lack of song structure, boring and predictable guitars, Sub-Par production, and the fact that Ahriman is such a pretentious son-of-a-bitch.
Style of Music: Musically inept and dull Black Metal.
Will Likely Appeal to: Fans of Dark Funeral, People who have money to waste.

Overall: Poor – 4.5/10 (I must say that I’m VERY disappointed and expected a whole lot more…)

© 2000 sauron anarazel