Of all the themes and motifs associated with that storied genre of music called Heavy Metal, the allure of the occult has captured the twisted imaginations of more musicians than perhaps any other. Amongst the ranks of today's torchbearers of the evil light are the mysterious MIDNIGHT CAINE, who hail from Sweden. Not much is known about the band, whose musical vision is purportedly guided by the ancient House of Caine, whom their latest EP is named after. Formed in 2007, the band worked their way through lineup changes while writing and recording music, releasing two full albums and an EP before 2015's "House Of Caine".

From the carefully crafted identities to the seemingly deliberate Munsters/Addams Family-esque album art, it's apparent that the band has an appreciation not just for music, but presentation as well, as "Blood On The Trees" establishes immediately. The powerful organs that open the song roll in like a heavy fog, giving way to a mix of eerie ambiance and soulful melody. It's hard not to hear this sort of music and not think of KING DIAMOND, especially when Fredrik Andrén breaks out the falsetto, which, fair or not, doesn't quite measure up to the King's lofty standards.

Despite the sonic similarities, though, MIDNIGHT CAINE never really try to be anything other than who they are. The deliciously evil and operatic "Lucifer" shows the band at their full power, an enthralling journey into the night that gains strength as the song goes on. The up-tempo "Unholy Light" is strong for most of the same reasons, but also because the instrumental presence is more pronounced than most of the rest of the album. While the band understandably attempt to put the focus on the entire musical product than simply a few elements, I couldn't help but feel like the drums, and especially the guitars, were understated in the mix, and consequently are often overshadowed by the organs, synths, and vocals. It's only a shame because the guitar playing is one of the album's strengths.

"House Of Caine" fits in as a solid chapter in the story of MIDNIGHT CAINE, a dark work of Metal storytelling with powerful hooks and spellbinding melodies that make devil worship almost sound fun. Indeed, as twisted and unnerving as the music can be, it still seems somewhat tongue-in-cheek despite the band's professed satanic beliefs, which keeps it accessible enough to the average Metal listener without actually compromising anything. Fans of bands like MERCYFUL FATE will definitely find something to like here.<