"The Dark Realms" is the debut album of the newcomer Melodic Metal Act THE RAGNAROK PROPHECY, a one man band and the project of A.C. Riddle who actually handles pretty much everything by himself on this record.

A.C labels his work "Epic Music", however, to me it's plain same old Melodic Death Metal in which you hear nearly only the CHILDREN OF BODOM influence. I'd definitely gives A.C Riddle some credit for the catchy riffs and the convincing vocal performance he delivered in this album. The vocals are varied from high screams to the deepest guttural growls, making it nearly impossible to believe that everything was handled by solely one person. "The Tenth Victim" showcased this feat greatly. The so-called "Epic" sound can only be heard in the opening track "Overcome the Darkness", otherwise there's nothing on this album I'd label "Epic".

Well, again, this album, although very good for a fan of the genre, brings absolutely nothing new. Repetitive yet fairly well-written, I shall say.