OK, we all know that most of the bands nowadays are playing the same things. This was inevitable, since the music industry is more of an industry than music and most of the bands do take this path. There are only a few new musicians that follow their heart.

NETHERBIRD are coming from Stockholm, Sweden. They sprung into existence in 2004 by Nephente, Bizmark and Grim (guitars). Their first EP, Blood Orchid, was the last recording of Grim with the band, early in 2007. Just after the recordings of their next EP, Lighthouse Eternal (Laterna Magika), they did sign a contract with Pulverised Records, which gave them the opportunity to release their first full-length album, The Ghost Collector. The EP was released though the Internet, as planned.

Well, truth is that this full album is not exactly a debut full of new compositions. Most of the songs are the ones in the previously mentioned EP, with the addition of two new ones and an intro. Well, I can't understand a move like that, since they could easily release only the full album. Anyway, in their short bio they are saying they wanted to ...create music without too much concern of genres or instrumentation.... But the result is pure Black Metal as CRADLE OF FILTH and DIMMU BORGIR are playing. It's not a bad result, though. The production is crystal clean and the compositions well worked. Of course they had the help of known artists, like Andrian Erlandsonn (AT THE GATES), Skinny (DEATHSTARS), Brice LeClerc (ex-NIGHTRAGE) and others. Not an album that will flutter the dovecotes of that kind of Black Metal but a sincere effort that the melodic Black metallers may find quite interesting.

Since this is only their first album, NETHERBIRD has a long journey in front of them. The only thing I hope is not to fall to the trap of the music industry and follow their true dream. Only if they do that, they will do something to stand out from all the rest.