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I remember calling Black Royal a Death Metal band that took heavy influence from both Black Sabbath and Wolverine Blues-era Entombed, and with their second release being more of that, I think it's fair to revise that a bit and label them as Doom/Death (or rather, Doom/Death 'n' Roll). Anyway, Firebird sees the band doing more of what they're good at and making it even better. You get the bluesy acoustic sections, the crushing Doom riffs, the LG Petrov-esque vocals of Riku, a handful of eerie spoken word samples, and the twisted melodic sensibilities that made Lightbringer so cool, all wrapped in a crisp, organic production job that complements the band's rollin' style. They bring in elements of Doom, Trad, Death, and even Sludge to create a brutal, crypt-like soundscape that'll swallow you whole, but this time around they added more depth and nuance to the compositions, making it a more fulfilling listen overall. Highlights include "Pagan Savior", which appears to be their answer to Entombed's "Chief Rebel Angel", and the awesome title track, which serves as a distillation of what makes this band unique and exciting. Fans of more unique Doom/Death or Death 'n' Roll in general will find a lot to love with this band, and even skeptics of either genre with a love for old-school Doom will want to give this a look.