Better bolt up the castle doors and fill the moat with boiling lead, for what is knocking at the gate is something more nefarious than the commonplace tongues of a darkened northern wind.

I often mention just how shockingly vile and sinister the Metal landscape can be...and how much we as fans of the genre love it that way.  Ever since its inception Metal has found newer and more extreme ways to demonstrate its affinity for darkness and its inhabitants. The incantations shall be read, the bats will fly and all the wondrous poetical visions of Hades will be turned up to the number of the beast.

However, too many bands tend to get overzealous with these blackened liberties and become transfixed on the popular superficialities, thus leaving their musical common senses in the real world. Yet when that black magic does blow out the candles and light the eternal fires of doom, and the music comes into perfect unison with those dark arts, that is when you have something to fear...but in a good way. And on "Embodied In Incense" CVINGER find their balance upon the line between realms, and fill the sacrificial cups with real substance; light the incense.

After opening with a positively creepy intro and summoning whichever spirits are required in the creation of a righteous Black Metal record, CVINGER delve into "Psalm, of a Hollow Man", spewing riffs left and right and setting a solid tone for the record - whose grim powers are only strengthened by tracks like "Enchanted Conclave" and "Martyr Shrine", both of which see the band demonstrate solid musicianship even amidst all the invocatory madness.

What is particularly notable about "Embodied In Incense" is its surprising accessibility. The band's application of a conceptual compositional approach and varied sound dynamics make this for a truly interesting listen. The record retains a high degree of intensity without allowing it to turn the entire product into shambles. Instead of tiring out the listener by inviting the same old troll to batter at the gates, CVINGER twist and turn the narrative of the record, and in doing so engage you with a haunting, "storytelling" delivery of tracks like "Weak to the Gallows" and "Infinity of the Black Flame". In addition to that, the band opt for writing carefully constructed material over creasing the tape with incoherent, mindless chaos, and thus honour this record with good riffs and appealing song structures.

The production is also a highlight - especially if we take the nature of the genre into consideration. The mix is solid and allows for the fine performances of the band to be at the forefront of this frightful tale, whilst the clean-cut sound quality helps deliver the intended harrowing atmosphere. The performance of vocalist Lucerus should also be pointed out as a particularly valuable asset of this enterprise. Lucerus puts on a phenomenally compelling presentation of the genre's heretic values through his versatile and entertaining vocal delivery.

Overall - keep the lights on, for this one will keep you up at night. With "Embodied In Incense" CVINGER have created an engrossing and thoroughly cogent Black Metal record that embodies the core values of the genre whilst showcasing its evolutionary progression.