Illusions - Crematory

Crematory's third album is a welcome change of pace, as the German gothic metal band starts to develop a distinct sound of its own. This is a strong and myriad collection of songs, from the instrumental opening and closing tracks that exude more atmosphere and complexity than on previous releases, to the mix of doom and gothic metal elsewhere. Perhaps the most significant change is the dominance of clean vocals, which might take some getting used to for those unaccustomed to the thick German accent, as much of it tends towards spoken word with death metal growls to supplement. The songs vary between melodic guitar and keyboard dominance, and although I prefer ...  Read the complete review