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Sear Bliss have been around for a while, this being their sixth album, but I have somehow evaded them until now. Despite their name making me expect some melodeath, this is actually some quite cool epic Black Metal with a definite pagan slant. This band starts with two things I like a lot: a fat, thick guitar sound and songwriting that isn't obsessed with speed. Most of this is very much in the vein of later Bathory or Graveland, with marching riffs and a lot of melodic songwriting. The vocals are a definite Quorthon rasp, albeit of a deeper register, and are sprinkled with a few cleaner passages here and there. I like that this album keeps the speed under control and focuses on writing heavier, more coherent riffs rather than just blasting. This is epic pagan metal with great atmosphere and sweep, very much recommended to fans of Hellveto or Graveland.