As we venture into the depths of Hell and back, our grim journey comes with a soundtrack. Blood shall fill the fresh wounds of our enemies as they fall on our swords in the battle for Metal and a musical kingdom once thought lost to the ages. Following closely in the footsteps of the mighty and legendary Quorthon, a duo of visionaries from the vast lands of two Scandinavian countries have come forth to issue their brand of music into the world. These visionaries are none other than SONS OF CROM.

Brandishing a sense of epic proportion to the music heard in their 2014 release "Riddle of Steel", they have stayed true to their influences and it's easy to make a close association with the forefathers of Black and Viking Metal in BATHORY.

I was skeptical and unsure about what I was in store for when I began listening to this album. I wasn't even sure if I was all that thrilled about the vocals in "Myrkrarfar". But the more I heard as I went through the album, the more everything tied together. Even the dark Folk/Pagan Metal ballad of "Golden Gates" fit nicely into this amazing blend of song genres with European roots. There is truly some outstanding potential in terms of songwriting and orchestration of instrumental parts. Complimenting the slower parts nicely, we find a mellow medley of uptempo melodies. I found "Cimmerian Dance" to be especially scintillating, with the upbeat dance rhythm juxtaposed to the reliable distortion of the electric guitar.

If you have an active imagination such as myself, I recommend closing your eyes and envisioning a treacherous journey into frozen mountains, a clash between two armies in the fields of a mediaeval land, or the angelic ascent of a warrior spirit whose life was given in defense of the good people of the homeland. This album, though only seven tracks deep, provides outstanding quality to the imagery of Metal in this realm. It keeps well with the overall theme while allowing for a variety of orchestral instruments and a fantastic mesh of musical styles.

In fact, this review wrote itself. Top notch, epic, Metal!<