Today, the split between Black Metal fans that love the old days of the SWOBM and those who are in a more modern trend is clear. And the genre can reflect this feature, because many bands playing in the old way of the 90's is appearing every day. And from Finland (a country with a long tradition on Black Metal, including the 90's) arises the titan called TO CONCEAL THE HORNS with the band's debut album, called "Purist".

It's a one man band, playing a kind of Black Metal way that can remind a lot Finnish earlier Black Metal, but with a different insight that can be traced to SWOBM Norwegian and Swedish bands. But there's an elegant touch on the songs, maybe a consequence of the fact that Agitathur Vexd played on GHOST BRIGADE and others. So his insight and experience created something aggressive, modern and really somber, with very good ambiances created by keyboards' parts and guitar leads, and it's charming, catchy to the fans' hearts easily. The energy and occasional somber melodies that flow from this album is something impossible to resist!

Agitathur Vexd took the responsibility of the recordings, mixing and mastering of "Purist" (having a helping hand of Tuomas Kokko on the recordings), to have control of what he created. And maybe with an Old School approach, his efforts evaded something excessively crude and rusty, because the songs sound great and in a way that everyone can understand.

The album bears five songs, because "Ataraxy" and "Vapaus" are just little instrumental songs used to create a right feeling. The only 'sin' committed is that they could be shorter, but even with that, "Realm of Averiandur" (very good song, filled with excellent guitar riffs and morbid melodic keyboards parts, and be prepared for the change of ambiances, from harsh moments to melodic parts), "Wanderer in Time" (the intervention of lead guitars is a very good idea, indeed), "The Rite of Purification" and "Musta Usva" (both creating a massive storm of melodic chaos arising from guitar riffs and very good contrasts of rhythms from bass guitar and drums), and "Death Horizon" (a drilling battering ram into the ears, but always showing very good contrasts, and once more, the shrieked vocals are fitting perfectly) are fine Black Metal jewels that gleam as the listener hears the album more and more.

As "Purist" is just the first album of TO CONCEAL WITH HORNS, let's hope that the band isn't just a side project, because it's so good to hear music in such format...