The last Avenger disc I got hold of was their 2003 epic Godless, so I was excited to get my hands on this new one. Fourth album for this Czech band, Bohemian Dark Metal shows they have not lost their touch.

Avenger play Black/Death with a riff-driven approach and an original ear for melodies that has always reminded me of The Chasm - though that is less in evidence here. Avenger don't sound like any one other band, they sound like themselves, and they just do this better than most other bands - better riffs, better songwriting all around. If there's one thing that makes this band great, it's that they never content themselves with just bashing away generically, they always use their tools to create innovative, surprising arrangements. Just when you think you have heard all their tricks, they do something new that keeps you interested. Fans of Blackened Death Metal who are put off by the sameyness of so many bands should absolutely check these guys out.