Hailing from Portugal LÂMINA are a group with a lot to offer. Whilst largely proprietors of fierce Thrash Metal, LÂMINA take some heavy turns down a dark road into some really enjoyable Heavy Metal, and even though they're not the most unique, LÂMINA are by no means typical.

I have never been the biggest fan of growling vocals, and it always seems to be that detail that turns peolle off of Metal (or at least it seems to be the scapegoat that is often mentioned when I ask what they don't like about it). LÂMINA veers away from this with crisp crystal clear vocals. Every thing is just a little bit different, even when they play tracks like "Cold Blood" - with riffs I feel as though I have already heard somewhere before - it still feels fresh in their capable hands.

Speaking of "Cold Blood", there is a supernatural timbre to the vocals that really drew me in; it just isn't a feeling you can transmit through growls and roars. The pace picks up about halfway in, and I like the change it brings into the track. "Big Black Angel" has a psychadelic, distorted feel to it, repeating riffs in an almost hypnotic way. Really low, resonant guitar riffs continue throughout, almost getting drowned out once everybody else joins the track. I can't quite decide how I feel about "Evil Rising", which has a good hook with a toe-tapping infectiousness to the beat but it almost seems too mainstream. It represents a full tonal shift compared to the first two tracks. I can't quite describe it but it has a Funk or Pop quality to it that almost doesn't fit, and yet I still enjoyed it.

"Maze" on the other hand is a claustrophobic, oppressive epic; twenty minutes of glowering Doom Metal. A fair bit of Psychadelic distortion flavors the main course that is "Maze". Just when you feel like you know what LÂMINA is all about they throw this massive curveball that takes you almost the total runtime of the album. Covering so many tastes and musical bases, it is hard to nail down exactly what about "Maze" makes it worth listening to over and over, but that is exactly what I did.

With some Hair Metal flair, "Psychodevil" brings the sassy basslines and silky vocals. Then about halfway in, it slows to a Sludgy crawl. There are hauntingly spectral vocals and background howls from the supporting vocals that resonate like gasps from damned souls. It's hard to pick favorites here, but "Psychodevil" is short, sweet, and gritty in all the right places. I guess the title track could be "In the Warmth of Lilith" since it is the only track to outright mention her in the song title. It's a strong ending in how subdued it seems at the finish. It is slow and Stoner(ish) with this mournful overtone, feeling sultry and frightening, sexy and damning; in other words, exactly how embracing the mother of demons, Lilith, should feel.

Well, after all of that, I can honestly say this is one of the bleakest albums I have heard this year and also one of the most enchanting. I couldn't get it out of my head yet I couldn't figure out how to put my feelings to paper (or keystrokes, whichever). I'm always fascinated by the blending of genres, tones, and emotions, and "Lilith" manages to blur all of these together in a really organized way and I can't wait to be enthralled by thier next album. Great work!