Black Metal is an international genre. Since its origins on late years of the 70's, when VENOM was beginning to ravage English lands with its earlier shows, passing by the 80's commercial explosion and the canonization during the 90's, to think in only one national scene as 'the best one' is a great mistake. The differences between national scenes are necessary to create the diversification every Metal genre must bear to survive. And the English quintet OLD CORPSE ROAD shows a good diversification on its new release, the album "On Ghastly Shores Lays the Wreckage of Our Lore".

On their musical work pulses the essence of English Black Metal, sharing elements with earlier works from bands as CRADLE OF FILTH and HECATE ENTHRONED, the same contrasts between aggressive moments with introspective melancholic parts (adorned with excellent melodies), but done in a personal way. The morbid ambiances created by keyboards, the contrasts between shrieks and Gothic narrative voices, the fine guitar riffs and solos, and the solid and technical rhythm created by bass guitar and drums shows an energetic and seductive musical work that is permeated by some English Folk parts (as the acoustic guitars heard on the beginning of "Black Ship"). Yes, their work is pretty good.

The only sin that is shown on the album is the sound quality. It's not on the level that their music deserves, because it's raw beyond the point, and the balance between the musical instruments isn't good (sometimes, the keyboards are louder that the guitars, and the tunes of them could be better sharped). It's not a trashy sonority, but not what their work deserves.

Musically, the band shows few points that could be better worked (a matter of rehearsals and shows), but it's impossible to not feel hooked by songs as "Harbingers of Death (Voices in the Tempest)" (very good keyboards and guitars creating funereal melodies), the rhythmical diversity shown on "Black Ship" (from fast and brutal parts with some introspective melodic moments), the darkened beauty of the melodies of "Sea Fire" (very good shrieks, indeed), the brutal aggressive approach of "Demons of the Farne", and the musical epic of "The Ghosts of the Ruinous Dunstanburgh Castle" (excellent darkened Victorian ambiances, great rhythmic changes and due its excellent changes, the listeners will fell 16 minutes passes as 16 seconds).

The English ghosts of OLD CORPSE ROAD are really amazing, and having a better sound quality next time, no one will hold them back or evade their ghostly invasion. But "On Ghastly Shores Lays the Wreckage of Our Lore" is that kind of album that deserves to be in every Metal fan collection on a physical copy.