I've mentioned this several times in past reviews but, once again, I'm going to say it again: Damn, I love Doom Metal.  There are very few genres that feature so many great bands with a surprising amount of variety.  Slovenia based MIST can be added to the ever-growing pile of great Doom bands who release kick ass albums. The riffs are slow but not sludgy; they have an old school SABBATH worship sound to them but combined with the melancholic Gothic tones of bands like MY DYING BRIDE or PARADISE LOST.

From the very first hard hitting notes of opening track, "The Ghoul," I immediately knew this album was going to hit the right spot. The riffs, drums, and bass are just the perfect unison of instrumental workmanship that show the band sounding far more mature than their years as a band would suggest.   Once the vocals of Nina Spruk worked their way in, I was blown away even more. Her clean vocal attack is at once haunting and arresting but contains a lot of sheer power behind it not often heard in Doom.  Indeed, she sounds like she is singing from a mountain top, delivering powerful speeches to the congregation of the church of Doom.

"December," is as cold as the month from which is gets the name and slow as heavy snow falling down upon the frozen ground.  Zitko's drumming works in tandem with Babosek's rhythm guitar to conjure up a very hypnotic sound that had me spell bound until Tansek's lead broke me out of it just to bring me into another dream like state with delicate but sharp, bluesy leads that compliment everything around but still have a distinct quality. "The Offering," is a nice break in pace because it presents a more old school hard rock sound to the doom. It is dark, to be sure, but also has a catchy side to it.  I could definitely see this song as being an intro to someone who isn't familiar with the genre.

The title track offers a beginning of quiet, clean tones, and soft almost whisper like singing.  It is a slow burn that still flows well due to Pecan's bass which carries the sound all the way to the moment when everything comes to a head. By the end, the song has turned into a rumbling, steady moving beast with cascading drums, thick riffs, rolling thunder of the bass, soulful leads, and of course, Nina's enchanting vocal delivery. MIST has crafted one of the best Doom Metal albums I've heard this year. If you are one with the Doom, I don't see any reason why you wouldn't want to give this album a listen.