Besides the monotonous nature of the vocals and the largely unnecessary 'A Semblance of Life', i believe this album to be one of the best examples of modern day symphonic black metal. People may argue that nothing here is really new, but the performance of the instruments themselves more than make up for any disappointment found on 'In the Shadow...'. The opening barrage of riffs and power chords galore on the wistful 'The world beyond' and the grandiose overtones of 'Departure' set the otherwise impressive musical stance of this album, and though the quality of these songs are not always met, they certainly still show perfect balance between Melody and Brutality.
Digging: Purson - The Circle and the Blue Door
