There are times when a musical genre in Metal becomes truly a boring thing due the evidence and legions of bands with the same sound features. Black/Thrash Metal is becoming in this way, because there are many bands just copying each other with no compromise with music, just with the musicians will. But far away from that is the London based band CRAVEN IDOL. Their new album, "The Shackles of Mammon", is truly good.

They try to fuse the filthy and nasty elements from bands as BATHORY and VENOM, with the melodic aesthetics of bands as MERCYFUL FATE and CANDLEMASS, and the energy from MANILLA ROAD. Of course the result is nothing really new at all, we heard it many times before, but it's really good, and shows some personality. But it's clear as well that they could use some of their creative power to improve their work even more, because there are moments when the cliché scent is too evident.

The deeper criticism is on the sound production. No, it's not moldy or fuzzy, nor a sound mass that we can't understand. But the band tries to be like the ancients of the past, their influences, and it's not the way, because their work needs to be recorded, mixed and mastered in great shape, for us to take the best of their musical work. Being straight in my words: it's good, but a better quality could have done an amazing album.

The high dose of adrenaline of "Pyromancer" and its nasty and griping guitars, the excellent tempos and catchy harmonies of "A Ripping Strike" (what a great work from bass guitar and drums, along with the punctual use of keyboards), the violent and catchy steel-tempered "Black Flame Divination" with its filthy and raw melodies (and very good vocals and chorus), the very good technical insight of "Dashed to Death", the hardcorized force of "Hunger", and the somber and morbid atmosphere of "Tottering Cities of Men" (that starts slow and climatic, then becomes a violent storm of very good guitars riffs) shows their full potential as musicians.

A better sound quality would fit perfectly on their musical work. But "Shackles of Mammon" is a very good album even in this way.