Unveiling the Essence (Unveiling The Essence - Cirith Gorgor)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Unveiling The Essence - Cirith Gorgor
Date:	10/06/08 (6 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Creative melodic black metal for black metal fans who hate melodic black metal.

Disadvantages: May not be stylistically consistent enough for traditional listeners.

'Unveiling the Essence' could be considered one of the masterworks of melodic black metal, lying somewhere between the harsh, riff-based sound of Darkthrone and the more atmospheric stance of early Ancient and Dimmu Borgir, without being terrible like modern Dimmu Borgir and Old Man's Child. The music is still very vicious, but expresses this in a more controlled and genuine manner than merely relying on tricks of the trade such as relentless blast beats from the drum kit or an emphasis on volume over content, and the focus on catchy guitars keeps every song compelling throughout.

For black metal, this even manages to be slightly varied, not only in terms of speed but also with the adoption of surprising styles, such as the almost power metal approach of the riffs in 'Unveiling the Essence' and 'The Stormrulers' that could have seen the band head in the direction of Ancient Rites. The atmosphere is excellent, epic without drawing too much attention to itself, while some songs such as 'Northern Spell of Warcraft' are simply content to remain short, sharp and brutal for less adventurous black metal fans.

1. Conquering the Shadowworld
2. Unveiling the Essence
3. Bellum Germanicum
4. Northern Spell of Warcraft
5. Into a Nightly Silence
6. A Twilight Serenade
7. The Stormrulers (The Art of Megalomania)
8. Visions of a Distant Past

Summary: Cirith Gorgor's second album (2001).