Melodic and Symphonic Black Metal are at the top of my list when it comes to favorites, so it comes with great joy that I introduce DOWN TO HELL.

The first thing you notice about this band, is that their name is in English, but songs are not. I know that for a lot of people that right there is a turn off, especially if they don't speak the language it's in. Personally I don't give a shit about that. Actually I find that when artists use their native language it gives their work a special beauty. The way words flow in other languages as opposed to English, can really make it flow 100% better.

And the whole album flows very smoothly. The melodies go from sweet, soothing, dark, through eerie, and then back again. This really helps add variation to the album, although I will point out that it does have the undertones of that familiar Symphonic Metal feel. It's not enough to make it sound like everything else though. They have definitely added their unique twist to the music.

One thing that stands out while listening is the clean vocals. They are done by the female vocalist, which is usually the case when having both male and female vocals in Black Metal. The way they incorporate the clean female vocals reminds me of the German band SIEBENBURGEN. Now I am not saying that the voices sound the same, it's just the way they balance the clean and harsh.  Also, when you listen to the album, don't be surprised to hear a riff here or there that may be reminiscent of a riff that you know from "Dusk And Her Embrace" by CRDLE OF FILTH. To specify more, I'm not talking about hole section of songs ripping of those classic riffs, but little fill ins, that do sound quite similar. Actually I found kind of neat.

All in all, I really enjoyed this album. I would definitely see them live, if they came to my neck of the woods.