As usual, people can have a vision in the Black Metal scene for a deeper comprehension of what's happening in the genre now: there are bands that use the modern recording technologies to produce clan and defined sonorities for their releases, and there are others that prefer to keep a crude approach to set things into a classical form. None of them is right or wrong, both ways have good and bad releases and bands. The better stand is: 'does the band's music fits on my taste or not?' Having this in mind, one can step into KROLOK's lair and understand what this Slovakian trio is up to with "Funeral Winds & Crimson Sky", their new album.

It's clear what they do: a form of Atmospheric Black Metal with focus on melancholic and funereal landscaping ambiences (what means a heavy presence of keyboards parts), but keeps the aggressiveness of the genre (due some influences from names as MAYHEM and CELTIC FROST on the guitars). So expect very good morbid melodies coming from their long songs, with abrasive instrumental tunes as well. In the end of all, be prepared for a melancholic, deeper, but yet aggressive form of music to be thrown into your ears. Zdeněk Šikýř is the one who signs the mixing and mastering of the album. The band prefers to have a crude and nasty sonority for their music, to keep the funereal and organic feeling that their songs need to be expressed. Maybe something better defined could be a better choice, but's not bad.

As expected from an Atmospheric Black Metal band, their songs are very long and filled with nasty and bitter elements. For a first time on "Funeral Winds & Crimson Sky", the best set of songs to be heard is: "Black Lore of the Fens" (the aggressiveness of these guitar riffs and vocals pulls things into a more traditional form of playing Black Metal), "Towards the Duskportals" (this one shows a very good set of contrasts between traditional Black Metal parts with Atmospheric Black Metal moments, what means that bass guitar and drums are working in a good way, along with the keyboards parts), "Unveiled Subterranean Treasures" (very good crude parts with the classic approach of the genre, with very good shrieks and keyboards), and "Funeral Winds & Crimson Sky" (this one has an reinforced funereal approach on the ambiences).

KROLOK still has to mature a bit more, but their musical work shown on "Funeral Winds & Crimson Sky" is really very good, especially for the Old School Black Metal fans.