Unlike German Power Metal and Thrash Metal, both genres that have being praised for the media and earned a lot of success, German Black Metal scene lays into the underground. And no one can say that this fact is due the lack of exposure of the good bands from it, or it's a choice of the bands. But it doesn't mean that good works aren't released in their scene. And the name of the quintet ARDE is really promising, as can be heard on "Ancestral Cult", their second album.

They play an old form of Atmospheric Black Metal mixed with traditional Black Metal features. One can hear the elements inherited from names as MAYHEM, BATHORY and DARKTHRONE on their musical work, but in the same way, with those introspective and landscaping ambiences (here, created by the guitars, not by keyboards parts), with slow rhythms and some deep and melancholic melodies. And although the musical formula they use isn't new, they're pretty good.

The band worked with Haimo (recording, mixing), Lolo (recording of the vocals) and Jack Control (mastering). Their insight straightly old school in terms of Black Metal, working with those nasty and crude sets of instrumental tunes and a morbid ambience that permeate the songs. But the final result can be understood by anyone (but they can push themselves to something cleaner on their next release, because bass guitar and drums are hard to hear in some moments).

They use very long songs to express their musical ideas (but in some moments, if they could be shorter, things would work in a better way), so be prepared by the assault of "The Birth Portal" (this one is more into a traditional Black Metal trend, with nasty guitars filling the spaces), "Halls of Ostara" (besides the guitar riffs are again in an old school form, this time they created a nasty and deeper ambience, where vocals can show their valuable shrieks), "Síle" (an introspective and folk song, and their only short one on the entire album), "The Birch" (this one is into an aggressive form), and "Vesica Piscis".

It's obvious that ARDE must evolve and put things in a better way, but "Ancestral Cult" shows that they're on the right path.