TARNKAPPE is a three-piece, Dutch Black Metal band. This is their first-full length album, and contains eleven tracks. The production here is fairly raw and the mid-range setting gives the album a fuzzy, somewhat muffled sound, reflected most in the guitars. The vocals aren't quite as indiscernible as some more traditional Black Metal and there is more lyrical content than straight out vocal wails. Unlike some albums in this genre however, there is a fair amount of diversity with eleven, shorter tracks, and not much in the way of atmospheric interludes and long passages with little to no instrumentation. In "To Wadein the Blood" for example, there is a spirited pace and a bounce to it with almost has a Punk quality. "Guister Mijn Geweten" is similar in speed and delivery. TARNKAPPE deliver a more accessible Black Metal product as well. The sinister evil that almost always accompanies this style is present, but not overdone. It's pretty strong in the track "Rouwmantel," where tortured vocal wails sound like someone being dragged into Hell, and in the song "Mitt Ketten Ander Leiche," where the main chord progressions speak of monsters, demons and other things that go bump in the night. Other moments that I would like to highlight include the track "Als Reuzen Zullen Wij St," which offers some variegate with a processional sounding riff that gives the track a majestic, but maleficent sound. In true Black Metal fashion, the final track clocks in at over nine minutes, and is the most intriguing song on the album in my opinion. Entitled "Woulddwalen," it is a simple, slow but wonderfully bright little melody, over a bed of strings. In stark contrast to the rest of the album, it speaks of hope and beauty to me. Overall I find the album strong in many places and appreciate some of the diversity it offers within the genre boundaries of this style. I would have liked to hear some more contrast as I mentioned with the sound of the closing track, but would look forward to hearing some of the band's new music in the future.<