LORD OF CONFUSION is a Polish doom metal band. "Evil Mystery" is their first full-length album. They play long-form doom metal. Except for the third track, "Interlude," the shortest song on the album is still over six and a half minutes. On this album, the song length is there for the music to develop over time. It's easy to see that this band is heavily influenced by early occult bands such as COVEN and, to a lesser degree, BLACK WIDOW. This one is perfect for the Fall season. It's just as heavy as it is spooky.

The first track, "Land Of Mystery," starts with lots of guitar feedback. Shortly thereafter, a church bell rings, and things get eerie. The guitars are played slowly and heavily. Carlota Sousa's keyboards sound remarkable on this and every track on "Evil Mystery." Her vocals are simply haunting. If I had to pick one thing that just didn't jive with me, the vocals are a bit low in the mix, but that's not a major issue.

The next track, "Howling Void," wastes zero time with the intro. Fonseca's low growl, accompanied by ten tons of guitar and a pipe organ to top it off. Out of that synergy, a slow, heavy guitar riff sets the stage. Keyboards are an integral part of LORD OF CONFUSION's signature sound, and this track is no different. The vocals are delivered in Fonseca's low growls and Carlota Sousa's sinister, sultry cleans.

The next track, "Interlude," gives the listener a bit of a break. It's a simplistic yet creepy track that splits the album into two uneven parts. There's a slow violin with distortion and some cymbal crashes. The keyboards make an appearance as well. Then, the song quietly ushers in the album's second and final act. I don't usually like interludes, but this one is spot on.

The final track, "Hell," is a thirteen-minute-long opus and is the best part of the album. Danilo Sousa plays a slow and steady riff that resembles BLACK SABBATH's "Black Sabbath." The vocals are, at first, done with João Fonseca's growls just underneath Carlota Sousa's deep, soulful clean vocals. There is also another passage near the end with alternating vocals. It develops a little on the slow side until the lead guitar solo. It still develops slowly, but that moment spurns some major musical development. I will not spoil it all, but I will say that your patience will be rewarded.

"Evil Mystery" is a solid and promising first album. I had some issues with the production and pacing, but things like that can be ironed out in the future. The songwriting shows lots of promise, and I find the juxtaposition of growled and clean vocals to be appropriate and not in the least bit trite. The keyboards are a high point and definitely set the mood. I enjoyed this album, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from LORD OF CONFUSION in the future.