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Former Acheron vocalist Vincent Crowley is striking out on his own with his debut solo album, Beyond Acheron. The description that came with the promo talks of an album influenced by a variety of metal genres and that is certainly the case. Beyond Acheron has a dark and gloomy atmosphere, like a creepy doom album, and Crowley employs both black and death vocals with both working well for their respective songs. The lyrics deal with death, but in a literary, Edgar Allen Poe style, not just tales of gore. There are gothic keyboards ("My Eternal Vow") and even thrashy guitar work ("La Muerte" has a solo that could easily be attributed to Kerry King), so there is something here for just about everyone. Usually when an artist tries to blend numerous styles, it doesn't work. Many times, one style dominates the others, negating the "multiple genres" claim or they don't mesh leaving you with clunky and unpleasant songs. Crowley, however, has stitched them together in a patchwork that when you step back and take it in, reveals a synthesis that flows beautifully. I enjoy Beyond Acheron as it is an album that combines many familiar elements into something that sounds new. Check it out if quality metal that doesn't submit to the typical boundaries sounds intriguing.