I'm going to say right off the bat that this is not a definitive, objective look at this album. My view of it is affected by how tired I am of seeing albums like this, playing to the whole satanic, demon-worshipping cults stereotype. It's been done a thousand times by Metal bands, and it's now become outdated and stagnant. Naming your songs things like "Endless Spiritual Paranoia" might make you look dark and brooding, but does nothing for the song's relevance or meaning.

Of course, there are many who are into this scene and always appreciate a band that makes itself as evil and taboo as possible. For that reason, my personal opinion must take a backseat. One of the most noticeable things about the record is just how relentless the drums are, courtesy of Wojtek Slavinsky. The double bass pedals in particular must have taken a real pounding during the recording process, to the extent where they are actually quite overpowering at times, causing the guitars and even the vocals to be shoved to the side.

At times, the tone shifts from loud and furious to atmospheric and comparatively relaxing, by way of transitioning from the standard instruments to an acoustic guitar and other strings. This is the case in the opening track "The Sweet Sound of Torment", which also throws in some almost religious chanting, as well as "Lost but Never Forgotten". These tracks act as a break from the onslaught that is the rest of the album, as the vocals from Kirill Bobrik are particularly brutal.

If there's one thing that can be said objectively and without hesitation, it is that VELD can certainly create a lot of noise for only a three-piece band. However, two-thirds into the record it becomes apparent that there's not really that much on offer here, as what you essentially get is a series of very similar sounding songs, bar the occasional acoustic section. It will undoubtedly suffice for a number of fans, as well as hardcore blood-sacrificing, demon-worshipping Metalheads, but the rest of us may be left somewhat bemused as to who, or what a Dantalian even is.