Following a six-year hiatus, the fearsome CARNIVAL OF FLESH is finally ready to release their debut album, "Stories From A Lost World."

Symphonic Black Metal is definitely the name of the game, but its not quite the same as, say, CARACH ANGREN's Symphonic Black Metal, for example. "Stories" has a very old school Black Metal feel in its basic instrumentation, supplemented by keyboards and a range of unsettling effects. In a genre that's known for playing it straight with no shortage of bombast, CARNIVAL OF FLESH impress with the tastefulness of their arrangements, especially paired with the frightening tale the lyrics tell, the story of a ruler driven mad with bloodlust in his quest for power everlasting.

Its appropriately fantastic fare for what fans of the genre might expect, beginning with the apocalyptic opening track "The Beginning," as the band begin to detail the king's reign of terror with a flourish of blastbeats and furious growls. Dachaz has a pretty strong voice for this music, but he also does a good job alternating voices for different characters and moods throughout. His anger and rage fuel the fires of malefic epics "The Promise" and "The Horror," while his lingering rasps draw out the sinister vibe on "The Pact," the emotional and musical climax of the album. As the song reaches its apex, there is a moment of calmness that perfectly captures the band doing what they do best: delivering powerful, dark music through an accessible medium without losing any heaviness (or credibility).

Aside from the so-so first half of "The Battle," there's almost nothing not to like about "Stories From A Fallen World," a strong first effort for a talented band. I did feel, however, that it could have been a bit longer, maybe a track or two more. I felt like the story was tied up somewhat abruptly, which kind of stinks; considering how detailed and catchy the album was on the whole, particularly the first four songs, its kind of disappointing that the story isn't expanded upon a bit further. Of course, it works just fine nonetheless, with plenty of highs and lows to satisfy anyone who enjoys old-school Black Metal in all its epic glory, without the electric-potato production of older Black Metal music.