The second In the Woods... album fails to remedy any of the supposed drawbacks of its predecessor, yet somehow manages to be an excellent album, and the band's crowning achievement. Abandoning the last traces of black metal from their sound, these long songs now focus more on experimentation and diversity, most evident and successful in the multi-layered male and female vocals that take a little getting used to, especially if you're averse to Vintersorg-style melodramatic Viking croons, but make this a highly distinctive release. There's an excellent, perhaps perfect balance between hard and soft elements here, as songs move fluidly between movements and cause ...  Read the complete review