Hailing from Norway, IN VAIN are a band that is hard to really get a handle on. You can call them heavy and say that they are well within the realms of Death Metal yet that doesn't really capture everything this band is about. This is the bands' third release and what a release it is.

"Ænigma" is a record that is incredibly complex, technical, and sonic in nature. Produced by Jens Bogren, the mastermind behind bands like BORKNAGAR, SOILWORK, and OPETH, the production of this record is absolutely flawless in nature.

The songs on this CD run the gamut from the extremely heavy, progressive nature, down to more folk metal influenced fare like the instrumental track, "Times Of Yore". The vocals are both death influenced growls and clean passages that come together in a very coherent manner thanks to the production genius of Bogren.

The drumming on this is especially potent and gives this album an extra heaviness that really adds an ominous tone to the whole affair. The guitars are nicely done with tons of crunch and doom added to the mix.

In the end, you end up with a record that won't be everyone's cup of tea but for those that love this genre of music, an absolute winner. This is as impressive as it gets in extreme Metal.