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A nice change from the glut of brutal Death Metal acts their country produces on a weekly basis, Polish symphonic Black Metallers Vesania are already onto their third album, one that will certainly strike a chord with fans of Emperor, Dimmu Borgir et al. But do we need another layman's version of "Anthems..."? Well, not really, but these guys have given it their best shot, and it actually stands out of the crowd a little, because Vesania aren't afraid to wander down mysterious tangents outside of their genre to create that all elusive spark of original ideology.

Given that symphonic Black Metal is a grey area for most, "Distractive Killusions" will no doubt be too peppery for would-be pagans, and probably too aggressive for casual listeners as it definitely leans closer to Death Metal lake than most Dimmu worshippers, who'd rather sit on the shore clutching their store-bought goat horns. But with a sterling production job and blistering performances, there is a wealth of sinister opulence to acquaint yourself with; "Rage of Reason" and "Of Bitterness and Clarity" being two viciously wicked examples. The keys are extremely prominent throughout, but in lending a layer of atmospheric claustrophobia, they enhance the foreboding in tracks like "Hell Is for Children" and chaotic opener "Narrenschyff".

The main problem that hinders "Distractive Killusions" is the band's penchant for trying too much at once, flowering the destructive Black Metal mayhem with overblown symphonics. It works on a number of occasions, but ruins a large amount of bustling instrumental sections. When the band puts the speed on the back burner and concentrate on atmosphere and melody, their capabilities shine through like a thousand diamonds trapped in dim headlights. Vesania have potential bleeding out of their ears, and mark my words, album number four will be the one to see them hemorrhaging it from every orifice.