Finnish Dark Metal duo Jarno Taskula and Tomi Mykkänen formed their EVEMASTER project in 1996 after their Death/Thrash group MORTAL GOT disbanded. Here their 2010 release "III" is being reissued thanks to their signing to Italian label The Goatmancer ahead of new material due in 2016.

Melding bleak melodies with brutal guitar riffs and (mostly) growled, harsh vocals, there are lots of influences of more extreme genres immediately evident on "III" especially right off the top, with the high speed violence of "Enter". The second track "New Age Dawns" on the other hand shows a lot more of the range and scope of EVEMASTER's sound, proving that they are far from just another Black Metal band. The vocal melodies are sometimes sung clean, and there is some great guitar work, showing off a more technical and progressive side to the pair.

After that though, the album returns to where Taskula and Mykkänen are evidently most comfortable - with darker and heavier sounds. "Sweet Poison" is a bit more guttural and has something of a nightmarish quality to its mid-tempo, doom-laden riff, closing with a haunting, high-pitched instrumental solo. The production on this rerelease is clear and tight, without the muddiness usually associated with Black Metal, giving it lots of power.

"Fevered Dreams" is a dark, melancholic track with plenty of melody, and a constant groove, while album closer "Absolution" returns to the complete contrasts in sound, with the guttural vocals trading off with clean singing. The extended instrumental solo section which closes the track, and the whole album, suggests the completion of some sort of dark journey with a dramatic conclusion ("Enter", through to "Absolution").

The different styles evident in EVEMASTER's "III" are what makes it stand out - ranging from heavier screamed vocals with buzzsaw guitar playing, through to really progressive sections full of instrumental wizardry and lots of melody.