Settling in somewhat gently, INCANTATION uses a dark and dismal atmospheric way to introduce the album "Dirges of Elysium" with their title track however all is not what it seems when "Debauchery" kicks in, keeping it dark yet thunderous this time round.

Immediately from the drastic change between intro and second track, you can tell that this album is going to be a complete arse-kicker to other Death Metal albums being released around the same time, but then again, what can we expect from veterans of Death Metal? Half-arsed, mellowed albums because they've been going for 25 years and should really 'slow down'? I don't think so and neither do they. In fact, they only seem to have grown fiercer.

Throughout the entirety of the album it's almost as though you're bowels are about to explode with the many "Holy shit, this is good, shit, this is really good" you're doing to each track and as you get more into the album, the darker it gets and the more evil it seems to be. Does this mean that the band and you are evil murderous gits though? No of course not, everybody has evil in them, it's how you channel it and this band, this beautiful release makes you channel it out through furious head banging, horns in the air and if you're watching any of this live? Through the God damn pits.

INCANTATION release the passion of what they do through their music so well that you can feel it when you listen making "Dirges of Elysium" an absolute masterpiece so to speak. It's not easy to make the listener feel what the artist does but with INCANTATION it's almost effortless - especially with the track "From a Glaciate Womb".

Throughout the entire album you feel somewhat powerful and stronger and that's a damn good thing right there. When "Dominant Ethos" approaches, getting you prepared for the beastly last track "Elysium (Eternity is Nigh)" - you feel yourself getting lost in everything that has been perfect about this album. A 16 minute stomper, "Elysium" is the darkest and almost ritualistic track on the album, everything is suddenly slower, the bass is ringing out, the guitars are sustaining some beastly, demonic sounding riffs, the drums are pounding, and the vocals? Well I think the Devil arrived on that one.

Filled with dark fury, power and pure evil, INCANTATION have really exceeded their hopes in wanting to "push the limit of darkness". "Dirges of Elysium" is proof that a band never loses their passion for what they do, it's a genuine Death Metal masterpiece and let's put it this way, if you're a fan of Death Metal and don't like this release, you're doing it wrong.