And from Belgium, comes a good and fine Black Metal trio, CULT OF ERINYES, and their second album, "Blessed Extinction", is a CD that every single Black Metal fan would have in their collections. It's an excellent CD, mind you all.

The band does not focus only in speed (even being not as extreme as we seen in bands like MARDUK), but as well in some intense and darker atmospheric moments, sounding like something from old Black Metal masters as ABIGOR and MAYHEM, but do not thing about them as a copy, for they have a strong personality.

Having the sound production by the hands of Phorgath (ENTHRONED's bassist and vocalist) and mastering by Neraath (guitarist from ENTHRONED), the sound is very harsh, but pulsing in the way from bands from the second wave of Black Metal, so it's in the spirit of the thing. It could be better, but it's way far from being a loss.

Highlights: the storming and tenebrous "From the Shattered Skies" (we can hear come clean voices like an agonizing Gregorian chant), the harsh "自爆 (Jibaku)", the long "Dissolve Into The Stars" (a not so fast song, with good guitar arrangements), and the more traditional (in terms of Black Metal) "The Vlasov Notes" (hear the harsh screams and feel the dark power from the songs, with great drums work). If you're looking for some more traditional Black Metal band with something new to say, CULT OF ERINYES is made for you, no doubt about it.