The unmistakingly vast majority of Black Metal has one unifying trait: Satanic imagery and concepts. And while there's nothing wrong with a little bit of Satanism to scare the Moral Majority, it has now become so inherent to the genre that it wouldn't be a long shot to call Black Metal "inbred" on its own concept.

So when a Black Metal band comes along that has forsaken its satanic concept ground for a more Pagan basis, not a massive step but it's something nonetheless, there's reason to be interested. Throw on some dark and gloomy atmosphere and play the whole thing in German, and you've got DAEMONHEIM.

Founded back in 1999, DAEMONHEIM is in many ways an oddity: First of all, there are only two members. Second of all, they have never played a live show and according to them they never will. Third of all, and perhaps most importantly to the listeners, DAEMONHEIM is not a strict Black Metal band. Rather, they merge Black Metal with a variety of genres - several of which outside of Heavy Metal. The result is a Melodic, Progressive and almost Avant-Garde musical experience that dynamically shifts tempo, composition and atmosphere.

Like their previous album "Hexentanz", this their third album entitled "Tidian" is a conceptual tribute to their mountainous homeland of Harz, Germany. The album kicks off with its longest and arguably best track, "Nachtflamme", which after a lengthy and rather excellent intro blasts away over the course of its 9 minutes and 26 seconds. It, along with the following track "Lindwurmjagd" are the closest DAEMONHEIM gets to pure-blooded Black Metal on "Tidian", and even then there's a distinct difference - at least for the experienced Black Metal listener - about the composition and instrumental sound.

After "Lindwurmjagd" ends, the album really starts to take a turn towards its more experimental territories, starting off with a very unusual-yet-welcome acoustic Black Metal ballad. Yes, you read that right. The title-track "Tidian" follows up with a highly Melodic and guitar-lead composition that ends off in a lengthy acoustic and eventually rewinded outro. "Totenkuss" is, for the most part, the album's heavier and slow-going track. Following it is "Zwoelf Ritter" which is probably the most Progressive and Avant-Garde track on the album, as it changes tempo and composition roughly every 30 seconds, which makes for perhaps the album's most musically interesting track. The final track "Nastrand" kicks off with furious blasts similar to the first two tracks, breaks down half-way into a slow, melodic and highly atmospheric(more so than the other tracks) section, only to regain its fury for the last minute of the album.

All-in-all, there's a lot of interesting things going on "Tidian", and the conceptual change is both noticeable and most welcome. However as much as DAEMONHEIM has managed to carve out their own peculiar little corner of the Black Metal spectrum, a corner which some will doubtlessly want to explore for its highly atmospheric and experimental riches, "Tidian" comes out lacking the punch to make it great. For though every song is rather unique and intriguing, no song - not even "Nachtflamme", which is the closest thing "Tidian" has in the terms of a selling song - can really claim one's attention or get you emotionally involved(this might change if you know German and can follow the lyrics, which I don't). The entire album resides on a rather awkward point between not being intense enough to compete with its Black Metal peers, and not being Melodic, Progressive or Avant-Garde enough to intrigue non-Black Metal fans. And it doesn't help that the sound quality and production is just passable, which might've otherwise brought out some of the instrumental strengths.

Still, if you're not afraid, or you might even like, to venture into the dark extremes of Metal to find something that'll stand out and tickle your intrigue, then this might just be what you're looking for. For everyone else, DAEMONHEIM's "Tidian" might do for a spin or two but will probably not make a lasting mark despite being a rather good album from beginning to end.