This Finnish band has been around long enough to put out five albums, plus the expected demos and splits, and yet this is the first I have heard of them. Considering the over-the-top tone of the promotional copy, I was skeptical of this right from the start, but I am forced to admit that Alghazanth have cranked out a very strong album.

Hardly innovative, this band plays a keyboard-highlighted variety of Black Metal that owes a lot to the Emperor of old, right down to the shriek of the vocalist. I have heard this kind of thing done again and again, but not often done this well. Alghazanth successfully blend melody with heaviness and an epic sweep to create powerful and compelling songs. Not stuck in overdrive, this band makes use of dynamic very well, slowing down or speeding up to create a mood, rather than just because. Keys are very present, but they are used to accent the music with atmosphere or creepy effects, rather than wanking over the riffs. The guitar sound is good, and some of the riffs are really excellent.

Alghazanth try a more artistic approach than just blasting, and they pull it off with strong songwriting and a real sense of the dramatic. A very worthy album for fans of melodic Black Metal.