Spewing from the manholes of the city of brotherly love are the gasses of an underground witch performing a ritual to summon a sophomore effort from CRYPT SERMON. It took four long years, but she prevailed, and here we are with "The Ruins of Fading Light". With those years passed by we see a promising Doom Metal band blossom into a fierce beast with their own sound influenced by the old school bands like CANDLEMASS, MEMENTO MORI and PAGAN ALTAR.

Riding to your impending doom, the album starts out with sounds of horses galloping along the clanking of a blacksmith finishing his latest creation: a greatsword made from a magic steel that only you can wield. "The Ninth Templar (Black Candle Flame)" is a great opener to this epic storyteller. The last 1:30 of the song is one of most headbangable riffs of the year, maybe a classic that people will refer to when talking about the greats of Doom Metal.

The songwriting and storytelling are both superb, blending all of their aforementioned influences into one with songs like "Our Reverend's Grave" and "Christ Is Dead" that really set them apart from your average, run-of-the-mill, Doom bands. The vocals are the exact definition of the word "fierce", and that's exactly how they are displayed. Brooks Wilson is as talented of a singer as we've had in Heavy Metal for a long time.

Walking through this album is like you're pillaging the roads of an old town, burning everything in sight. Songs like "Christ is Dead" and "Beneath the Torchfire Glare" let the riffs do the talking and the solos do the walking while slamming your eardrums like a warhammer.

All in all, this is going to be everywhere when you see people start compiling their end of the year lists. It's one of the best Doom albums to come out in the last handful of years if of all time. The new generation will look back on this album like the old timers look at albums like "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" by CANDLEMASS or "Into the Depths of Sorrow" by SOLITUDE AETURNUS. I seriously could go on about this album, but it's a journey you need to take for yourself. It won't let you down, and when that last riff fades you'll be right back at the beginning over and over again.