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Like a lot of black metal bands, Finnish/German combo Order of Nosferat are productive, with Arrival of the Plague Bearer being their second full-length album in under six months. Unlike a lot of black metal bands, the two albums comprise their discography; no splits, singles, EP, demos, etc. It is a symphonic style Order of Nosferat play, combining demonic vocals and harsh tremolo riffing with grandiose keyboards that work well on the more "traditional" cuts like "Fear the Unchained Ghoul" and "Arrival of the Plague Bearer." The album also features several instrumentals, for instance "Sleepless in Sorrow and Bloodthirst" and "Lost in the Crypts of My Need for Affection" that aren't bad at first blush. They provide a certain mood shift that can truly enhance atmospheric music such as this. The problem is that they are fairly long and tend to sit on a theme or motif for nearly their entire length (each over four minutes) and they all drag. They seem more fitting as soundtrack music to a silent, black and white horror movie, but their length and number (there are five) disrupt Arrival of the Plague Bearer more than anything. Fewer and shorter would be my advice, not that Order of Nosferat are asking. There are some good ideas and solidly played black metal on here, but the overall execution of this album leaves something to be desired.