DOWNCROSS hails from Minsk, Belarus and specializes in Black Metal. The duo currently has a promo as well as two full-length albums to their credit so far. I'm reviewing their latest release, "What Light Covers Not," which was released just a couple of months ago. Fair warning; it's turned out to be another one of those albums that I ended up liking far more than I anticipated.

The album begins with "To Cross The Path Of Fire."  The song has a good intro featuring an extended amount of guitar-playing prior to the vocals commencing. The shrieking, growling vocals add a serious spark to the track. The backing music is exceptional, too, creating an atmosphere of anticipation along with dread. It's fast and brutal without sacrificing the song's melody. The percussion and bass-line contribute to the song's overall power most effectively, contributing to a powerful sound. It's an excellent track all the way around. "What Light Covers Not" has a beautifully paced start which explodes into a faster composition as it leads into the main body of the song. The vocals are terrific with more snarling and growling punctuated by agonized-soundig shrieks. The music is intense and compelling, ranging from fast to a slower, more melodic style and sound. It's another one that features excellent guitar playing. "Opening The Shells Of Spreading Chaos" is brutal from the start with wicked guitar riffs that eventually blend in with the song's backing music. The percussion is very brisk, kicking the track into overdrive. The vocals get your adrenaline flowing even more once they start. A song designed for mosh pits and walls-of-death if ever there was one. The only bad thing is that the song moves along so smoothly that it's over with before you know it. My suggestion is to listen to a few times in a row in order to get your fix. "In The Thoughless Black Light" starts out subtle with keyboards and an acoustic guitar. I'm immediately intrigued since the style variation is such an abrupt change of pace. Beautifully played, the track leads you along, making you wonder where it's going to take you. It brings to the mind UADA'S song "The Wanderer," which is another gorgeous instrumental. I admit I adore this track, too. It's always nice to discover that a band is well=rounded enough musically to produce a lovely gem of a song that you'd never expect to find. It's safe to say that this is one of my favorite tracks on the entire. album

"The Making Will Not Be Committed" returns to a more abrasive-sounding metal, which is not a bad things. The song is quick as well as heavy with a thrash-infused sound that blends with the Black  Metal-style vocals perfectly. If you can manage to remain still while listening to this track then I have to question whether or not you are  a true fan of metal music. It's GREAT!  "Following Vama Marga" opens with a sweet guitar performance, showing more evidence that the duo can really play music exceptionally well. The melodic rhythm and classi Black Metal vocals create a combination that will calm you down as well as inspire you.  It' another finely-crafted song which should get DOWNCROSS plenty of attention as more metal fans discover it. "Kingdom Of The Absent One" turns out to be another surprise as it starts out with a nice acoustic intro. It reminds me of "The Call Of Ktulu" by METALLICA. Beautiful Spanish-style guitar playing is at the centerpiece of the track, lulling you into a serene state as the song plays. It does the thing that all great pieces of music do which is take you faraway into your imagination as it soothes your soul. I never would've expected such a gorgeous piece of music on this album, but I am delighted that it is. It's great way to wrap up such a fine album, too.

Get the album? Yes, absolutely. If you don't then you'll be sorry. It's Black Metal that is its own form of art. I hope DOWNCROSS continues to hold itself to a high standard of excellence.