When the NEKROMANT album "Temple Of Haal" starts playing "Sileni" I am instantly becoming very happy, as the sounds I am hearing the same kind of sound as MANOWAR used to have on their first five albums. The thundering bass sounds a lot like Joey De Maio used to do, and the distinctive drums and heavy riff only add to that pleasure. The vocals, though, are very different. Mattias Ottosson is much more mellow and melodic than the powerhouse Eric Adams ever was. He sounds more like a cross between JB of GRAND MAGUS and Messiah Marcolin of CANDLEMASS. That is also the direction in which you will wish to look when trying to describe where to place the direction NEKROMANT actually is taking.

Another similarity with GRAND MAGUS is that NEKROMANT is a power trio from Sweden. To be more precise, they hail from Vänersborg, from the area of Västra, Götaland. The biggest difference between the two is where GRAND MAGUS is a mix between MANOWAR and JUDAS PRIEST, NEKROMANT mix the first one with CANDLEMASS. The first two songs are pure Heavy Metal and are done with a lot of enthusiasm. "Sileni" as well as "The Woods" are solid songs with a good build up and great riffs. But it is when "Olórin's Song" starts that NEKROMANT really begins to shine. The tempo is taken right down to just above pure Doom Metal level, and all of a sudden "Temple Of Haal" becomes a very interesting album. This is how NEKROMANT should thrive to sound like all the time. The slow riffs, the heavy sound, the brilliant songs, they all come together.

It starts with "Olórin's Song", followed by "Nekrolith", "Häckle Klint" and especially "Behind The Veil Of Eyes", they all show the ability to make slow songs sound extra good. Then you have tunes like "Vaenir Dreams" and "King Serpent", which are not only slow, but they also accentuate the ability NEKROMANT has to show their emotional side. In between those you will find the title track, which is the most impressive of the faster songs. All this together makes "Temple Of Haal" into a very interesting album that has me on the edge of my seat. So, if you like or love any of the bands I mentioned throughout this review, please don't hesitate to check out NEKROMANT. I feel you'll be in for a very pleasant surprise. I know I was!