Lychgate
s/t

Darkness! That is the response I get in my mind for the debut album of the band called Lychgate, a lychgate is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard. And from the darkness of the graves rises this band where the members are known from other bands and on top of their craft. The cover art sort of reminds me a bit of the movie called I Am Legend, it is a handycraft in darkness this album. It could be said to resemble the darknesses of Inferno from the Dante’s The Divine Comedy as well, I think we are in for some dark excitement here. Although I have to admit that the name is a bit undark but who am I to judge the intention behind their name. But what is hiding there, inside the churchyard?

Total darkness, in a melodic black metal sense of the way. It is powerful but with a touch of melodicness but still with the main focus on the blackness. It is excellently produced and presented, the songs are varied to be black metal and the nine of them is played in less than 40 minutes which seems to be somewhat to the point but then again black metal becomes rapidly boring if too long. The vocals are typical of the genre and a bit of a weak point I think. But other than that I would say that this album is both interesting and atmospheric, especially for something that is black metal.

I like this album, it has depth and it is what black metal is about. Pitch black and evil with a wonderful atmosphere. But the melodies are also there as well, so it is both melodic and heavy as well as dark. At the same time as I said it is also quite varied for a black metal album. And I would also say that it is a good album, not amazing or fantastic but one album that I find good, plain and simple. I think the vocals could have been a bit better but the album has a great atmosphere even though I think it could have been a bit more varied but that might just be because I am not part of the band’s targeted audience. If you are a fan of melodic and powerful black metal you’ll most likely find this album very fascinating and most likely very good.

If you are a fanatic of the black metal genre you will probably find this album quite brilliant. Then, if you are a fan of any of the other more melodic, less dark, branches of the metal/hardrock genre, then you might not find it as good. I like this album, it is what black metal is all about, dark and heavy yet melodic and quite clever. A fascinating debut and an album well worth looking into for the black metal fanatic, good ratings from black metal reviewers seems to indicate this. Good black metal, that is what this album is.

HHHHHHH