Melody is a rare trait in any Black Metal record, or for that matter, any extreme Metal record. Very rarely do we stumble across a band of the extreme caliber that has taken the risk in fusing melody with the fundamental harshness of extreme Metal music. Thankfully, the track record of artists that have tried this is mostly positive, and Finnish Black Metallers PANTHEON OF BLOOD have their latest EP, "Tetrasomia", to add to the outstanding list of melodic extreme Metal releases. Black Metal bands have a reputation for being dark, brooding, and at a lot of times, more rhythmic and atmospheric than melodic. Despite the expectation for PANHEON OF BLOOD to mirror the feel of their last EP, which was significantly darker, they have gone against the wave and created a phenomenon with their brand of Black Metal - one that blends melody with the archetypal traits of Black Metal including harshness, darkness, and if you'll pardon me, a certain rawness.

"Monta Maailmaa Nähnyt", the second track, is one such example. The underlying melodicism of the song created a rather uplifting feel that was skillfully contrasted with the harsh vocals of Z. He managed to execute different techniques of guttural vocals perfectly that went like butter over a piece of toast - two completely different mediums with different textures and tastes but when put together - becomes a perfect match. This song also features guitar parts that went into a rather Folk-inspired direction. All this mixed together creates something quite experimental, a trend I noticed among newer Black Metal acts. The mixing of the album makes for an interesting experience - proof that Black Metal bands are far more concerned with the experience of listening and the effects of outside manipulation on the listener's overall grasp of the music. Venturing into the technical side of it, the guitar work didn't feature anything splendidly out of the ordinary, but the tones of the instruments managed to bring about what I'm sure was their intention in the first place - an emotional reaction that corresponded with the hypnotic nature of the guitar's sounds. Therein lays the skill of the guitarists. They would sacrifice fancy shredding to opt for something simpler, yet audio-wise more effective to the overall experience. The bass faced the same issue of being not too prominent, but it is certainly groovier than most Black Metal acts. The drums are exactly cut out for what a Black Metal record should be, with the snapping tone of the snare fittingly mimicking that of a grenade launcher firing its shot. "I.N.R.I" was one of the tracks that incorporated atmosphere wittingly into its composition. With the floating, lofty darkness it offered, I truly connected with the mood of the band - one that is dark but at the same time exciting, much like their music.

The album was again one of the more experimental, raw records to come off the Black Metal shelves in recent times. It is not overtly praise-worthy - no record is perfect and I would have certainly liked to hear the band do new things with their instruments instead of just using effects and carefully orchestrated sounds to create atmospheres. They have a very raw tune to them, and a grittiness that reminds me of old school Black Metal that had a closer affinity with Punk than they do now. The band seems to do things differently each time they come up with a new release, and hopefully with this trend, they would continue to improve and eventually bring something new and mind blowing to the table.