Following their debut EP "Awakening," May 13th sees the release of "Doomed Before Time", the brand new full-length offering by Black Metallers SCITALIS. Hailing from Umeå, Sweden, and coming your way through the hands of Vendetta Records, the band's upcoming album offers eight tracks of soul-devouring and pure Black Metal. Pitch black in its features and presented through a powerful production, "Doomed Before Time" is an album that once again speaks for the quality of Northern European purveyors of the dark arts that we have all come to know and value. The album contains eight tracks.

"Eye ov Leviathan" is the first cut. It's a short, two-minute instrumental of mostly ambient and solemn tones. "Serpent" begins with that familiar Black Metal sound...a wall of guitars and drums, drowned out bass, quadruple-time drumming, and vocal screams. Unfortunately, sticking to the FWOBM blueprint doesn't make for much of a diverse listening experience. The production is at least decent, however. "Slithering in Sins" features much of the same sound. Although somewhat frightening in the rhythm guitar progressions, the song does little to advance the genre. I get that this is Black Metal, but sheesh.

"Above" is more of the same...scratchy guitars, dominating drums, and vocal shrieks. There is a bit of inventive work following (what I think is) the first chorus, but it is very short lived. "Seen by Blind Eyes" is really the first song that offers some diversity in pace and sound. The guitars can be heard more clearly, and the slower pace allows the sound to really soak in and coat the listener. The horrid vocals that follow remind you of their commitment to the FWOBM sound. "Doomed Before Time" opens with another slow pace to let the harrowing elements sink in. A little more of this diversity would go a long way to expand the sound on the album. The downtrodden sound here is at least somewhat interesting.

"Absent" begins with soft, ambient tones. This is the third song in a row that opens with a different sound. Unfortunately, it doesn't last, as the FWOBM sound roars in shortly thereafter and this is how the song continues. "Beneath" closes the album; an eight-minute opus of rumbling guitars and drums along a steady path that begins to crumble underneath your feet, opening up a bit to the abyss below. This was just a mediocre release, capitalizing on the FWOBM sound that was created decades ago. My biggest question? Why? Today's Metal scene is more diverse than ever before, so why limit yourself to a sound that has been done and re-done, ad nauseam?