I was expecting this to be your bog standard symphonic black metal, however upon hearing it I was surprised by the weight of the riffs and arrangement – this is actually some pretty good stuff. Whilst originality is somewhat lacking, conviction stands proudly in its place. I can guarantee you will have heard riffs quite similar to what is found here, but what is cool about Alghazanth's sixth full-length Vinum Intus is that the riffs are played with deft force.

Shades of Emperor, Immortal and obviously all of the usual suspects can be heard throughout Vinum Intus, particularly across the opening piece "A Living Grave". We see Alghazanth get even better on the album's second track, "With a Thorn in our Hearts", which utilizes some of the album's finest riffs; there are some parts in the middle of this piece which are really impressive.

The production is very clear, far from the rawness heard in a lot of their counterparts, which depending on the listener could be a good or bad thing. I personally quite like the cleanliness of the production, especially for the guitar melodies which really have the right kind of room to breath. The vocals are a little on the ear-piercing side and I feel are maybe too upfront in the mix. However it isn't a major niggle, and the vocals are good, if undistinguishable.

Overall, Vinum Intus is a cool black metal album that fans of the genre will surely. Not mandatory by any sense of the word, but showing enough merit to warrant a couple of listens.