Doom Metal seems to be the new trend in Metal today, because many bands are appearing, and creating a mess, because if you don't have something different to present that SAINT VITUS, WITCHFINDER GENERAL, TROUBLE and others already did, you're really screwed. And the Finnish quartet LORD VICAR still is trying to find what they're up to, as "The Black Powder" shows clearly. They're into a classical form of Doom Metal, or in other words: is another band exploring the slower and bitter features that BLACK SABBATH used to have back on its three earlier album. But their greater difference from other bands is the introspective and beautiful moments (as can be heard on "Sulphur, Charcoal and Saltpetre"). But they could do better, because such long songs can bear more rhythmic diversity, or they could short them, because the idea on some moments is that the listener will sleep, as the vocals could be better as well (maybe a bit more aggressive in normal voice tunes).

The sound quality of the album isn't bad, because the weight and organic feeling comes from the instrumental tunes. Yes, they don't have that moldy and dirty approach that some Doom Metal bands love to bear, so we can understand what the quartet is doing clearly. For Doom Metal addicted fans, songs as "Sulphur, Charcoal and Saltpetre" with its ambiances' changes (from oppressive rusty parts to introspective moments, but being a little shorter would work better), the melancholic aggressiveness of "Descent", the dirty melodies of "Levitation" (an evidence that shorter songs can work in a better way for them), the heavy and nasty Doom Metal ambiance of "Black Lines", and "A Second Chance" (another giant song that could be shorter, but its melodic guitars are excellent) are the best ones. But the ones that aren't introduced to the genre and the ones that aren't Doom Metal fans will never be seduced by "The Black Powder".

It's a good album, but nothing more than this, and LORD VICAR has potential and talent to do better than that.