This year is becoming the year of Doom Metal, no doubt about that, for since a long time there wasn't a number of releases of the style so great.

But as every veteran in Metal scene knows very well is that when the number of bands from a kind of Metal increases, the quality disperses as well, and even with some older bands, it becomes clear, as the new release of Sweden's STONEGRIFF, "Prologus Magicus", shows.

The band isn't bad, mind you all, but their music doesn't offer something new, and does not show anything that CANDLEMASS, SAINT VITUS, TROUBLE, WITCHFINDER GENERAL and WITCHFINDE didn't. The sound is always oppressive and slow (as Doom Metal is up to be), but needs to have some particular touches that are absent in this work.

The sound engineered by the producer Kalle Kronhamn is not bad, always reminding the first two albums from BLACK SABBATH, having a dusty and morbid musical touch, but this isn't bad for the style. It's good (if you're into the thing, we mean), but could be a little better. The art conception is very cool, but this Boris Karloff thing is too out-of-date for the excessive use.

There are very good moments, of course (an band with their experience can do all things wrong), as we can see in the guitar riffs of "Black Magic Circle", and the good work seen in "For Madmen Only", but the specter of their musical influences is too evident, sometimes lacking of some personality. And in the high pitch vocals disturbs the ears, trying to sound like Eric Wagner (former TROUBLE frontman), and other times trying to sound similar to Messiah Marcolin's way.

They got a lot of talent, no doubt, but need to have more personality. Breathing some of your life into your music is not an option, but an obligation to musicians.