Norway, the eternal dark of winter and the snow covered forests are just the epitome of the Black Metal atmosphere. The nation and surrounding areas are well known for pushing out Extreme metal acts like clockwork. And here today is the debut self-titled release from SYNING, released through Terratur Possessions. The artwork is disturbing... For the keener eyed amongst you, you may have noticed a similarity between the cover art and the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, a disturbing and I can only assume slightly uncomfortable place to be. A suitable and apt cover.

Opening the release is the mammoth 14 minute "Atter Igjen Kommer Mørket Krypende". The introduction is a long and drawn out affair, it really makes the hairs on your arms stand on end as you wait in anticipation for what is to come. The guitars in the initial section are macabre, rolling flowing patterns gently transport the listener along, pierced by the aggressive and guttural growls from Cernunnus. The pace does pick up, with an injection of sheer energy and some introduced new instruments. I feel that the organ floating in the background really adds a whole new dimension to the track. Take some of those more classical Gothic sounds then added into the Black Metal blueprints and you have got this somewhat magical ambience combined with the unfaltering aggression and it is utterly captivating.

"Et Siste Skirk" is another marathon of a track pushing up toward the 14 minute mark again. With a much more deliberate pace, stomping and crawling toward you through the mist. It is unsettling and enthralling in equal measure. The instrumentals again move together in unison with the guitars and organs once again complimenting each other, with both providing the meat and bones of the music. However, whilst the track is enjoyable, there are many parts that are just a bit nondescript. With large sections that just feel as though you are pulling your way through, I feel that the injection that was seen in the previous track was just missing.

Closing the release is "Fortapt". Being totally honest? I wasn't a huge fan... It just seemed to be a fairly spectacular anti-climax. I for one was hoping for a breathless and energetic flourish to see the album go down fighting, screaming bloody murder. But instead, it seemed to just fade into obscurity as a minor blip on the history of Heavy Metal.

Overall, it is an ok album. There is clear musical knowledge displayed, but the length of the tracking started to grate on me. The music peaked, for me, in the first track and slowly lost momentum from there, this continued to make it a bit more difficult to get enthusiastic for the music. But, sometimes that's exactly the type of music that people want to listen to and feel. So get out there, check out the SYNING album and let me know how it measures up for you.