SOULBURN is a Black Metal band with doom elements and this latest album of theirs straight up rips.  Vocalist Twan Van Geel has a raspy scream and growl that sounds like he is throwing up gravel.  That is a compliment, I assure you.  However, it isn't overbearing; much like Mikael Stanne from DARK TRANQUILLITY, his voice is also clear in tone and you can understand what he is saying.

The opening track, "Where Splendid Corpses Are Towering Towards The Sun," fires right out of the gate with one of the best openers I've heard in a long time.  The songs reminds me of the dirgey Black Metal Groove of GOATWHORE.  However, you would be wrong if you thought they were just another Black Metal band because, unlike a lot of black metal, SOULBURN do not play as fast as humanely possible with tremolo riffs. The incorporation of doom metal allows for the band to really bring out some groove, and even a hint of melody, such as in "Howling At The Heart of Death."  The heavy slab of riff behind the ghostly melodic lead guitar really gives the song an amazing atmosphere.  This doom with a tinge of melodic despair shows up again on "Withering Nights", one of the highlights of this album.  The beginning hammers out a crushing riff and it just keeps building until about two minutes in when the melodic guitar kicks in again, mixing in with Geel's insane vocals; its a mesh that works well but it never strays from a sound of despair—this isn't Gothenburg melody.   The song once again picks up again with a big headbanging part.  Soon as you think its over, it slows down again with some nice female vocals.

Although the entire band does a great job, the guitar playing duo of Remcro kreft and Eric Daniels, are the real superstars.  Fast, slow, melodic...these guys cover all the bases and present some really adventures metal.  Bob Bagchus is extremely tight on the kit; he both compliments and supplements whatever the songs throw his way. The constant changing of this metal roller coaster really keeps the album fresh and surprisingly consistent, for the most part.  The last track is really out of place.  It's just a bunch of noises and feels like it is more of of an intro than anything.  Still the journey to get that far is a rewarding one.  If you are looking for Black Metal or Doom that is rather extreme, then I definitely recommend this release.Justin "Witty City" Wittenmeier