Since the coming of the SWOBM bands on the beginning of the 90s, a total new world of musical possibilities was opened to extreme Metal bands and fans. And it's still giving excellent fruits, because throughout the world, many Black Metal bands are really doing excellent albums. Names that many could not heard of, but need to be spoken out loud for all. And one excellent name is the Brazilian quintet DOOMSDAY CEREMONY, from Curitiba (on Paraná). A band that, after 10 years since the release of their first album, "Apocaliptic Celebration", comes again with their second attack, called "Black Heart".

We could simply name their style as Heavy/Black Metal. Yes, this fits perfectly, because their musical work is a fine, melodic, but sinister instrumental basis that comes from traditional Heavy Metal along with Death/Black Metal vocals. And no, you can't compare their work to other names from Symphonic Black Metal or others, because they use melodic and excellent guitar solos, a feature that is not common on Black Metal, along with fine and tender melodies, a vocal duty that is really different from the shrieked voices or guttural grunts we commonly hear, and a solid and good work on rhythmic session. It's something really new, different, and personal.

Maiko Thomé Araújo is the album's producer, and did a fine job, balancing the weight and clearness on the sound quality, but keeping the aggressive elements that the band uses. And the graphical work is very good, but can cause nightmares on non used Metallians.
Of course the quintet knows exactly what they want to do with their music. The arrangements are truly fine, the tempos as well, and the hooking melodies make your easily understand and assimilate the album's songs. And there are two special guests: Fernando Nahtaivel (from INSANE DEVOTION) playing the keyboards on the intro to "Slaves of Sin", and Sucoth Benoth (the legendary vocalist from AMEN CORNER, an ancient Black Metal band from Brazil) doing some backing vocals on "Vultures of War" and "Slaves of Sin", and their presence from both made "Black Heart" pulses with more life.

The finest moments: "Vultures of War" with its excellent guitars (hear the duets and melodic solos) and tempo changes, being a somber and melodic song; the intense and energetic "I Am", with excellent rhythmic changes and filled with perfect vocals; "Voice of the Darkness", a perfect song, with excellent melodies on guitars; "Black Heart" (man, if you don't know that you're hearing a Black Metal album, you could swear you're hearing traditional Heavy Metal song, until the vocals appear); and the lovely contrast between melodic and harsh moments we find on "Fury" (whereas there's a very good work from bass and drums).

A perfect album, indeed, and these guys are really expanding frontiers.

Hear it and take your own conclusions!<