This German band has put out a lot of singles and EPs, but this is only their second full-length in ten years. Despite their Assyrian name, their mood is very Dark Ages Europe with a lot of pagan themes and lyrics entirely in German about ancient lands and mist-shrouded battlefields. This is Black Metal of a highly epic variety, with rolling tremolo riffing and long compositions packed with affecting and sometimes innovative melodic flourishes. Asarhaddon remind me of stuff like Mgla or Uada, with a heavy dose of Cascadian sounds in the mix. If there's a flaw in this band, it's the monotonous vocals, which are almost entirely one-note and provide no drama or variation, just sawing away. They are also mixed quite a bit too loud and upfront, and I find myself wishing this were a mostly or entirely instrumental album, as the instrumental parts of this are so good. A band to watch, but they need better vocals.