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I really enjoyed this band's full length, The Dawn of the White Rune, so I figured I'd give the recently released compilation of their first two demos a spin. Musically, this is still all about '90s Melodic Black Metal, though the songs on here are more raw and straightforward than those found on their full-length. That doesn't make this any lesser, though, as even at their earliest stages, this project was all about churning out addictive melodies and creating a massive, encompassing atmosphere as they do so. "The Spell of Winter Holocaust" in particular stands out as a strong example of the band at full power, as it's the kind of melancholic epic that only a truly skilled songwriter could pen down, and main man Ruttokieli proved himself here with it just as well as he did with "The Ravenous Part 1 - Altar of Defeat" on the full-length. Time will tell if this project ever reaches its full potential, but if everything I've heard so far is any indication, I'd say odds are good they will, and even if they don't, we could do far worse if they keep making music this good.