Description

Black and gold splatter vinyl with poster and an 8 page booklet

Warmly buzzing through its eight tracks, this accessible disc is a re-release of an album put out by Full Moon Productions in 2002, apparently with a faulty mix. Several years distanced from its birth, Apparitia-Sumptuous Spectre can hold its head proudly aloft as a solid entry into the melodic-yet-raw arena of traditional Black Metal. Burzum is of course cited as an influence, but this album is too controlled and well-produced for that comparison be considered valid. To this reviewer’s ears, Apparitia-Sumptuous Spectre can trace its lineage to In the Nightside Eclipse, with less frozen fury and much more individuation of instruments. In fact, it is in the high, clear passages of guitar that this weapon truly shows its edge. Expected buzzsaw drones alternate with guitar phrasing that is obviously influenced by the grandfathers of Heavy Metal. Snippets of Priest, Maiden, and even Accept surface in areas, particularly noticeable in the final moments of track five “Spectra.” A perfect release for the Black Metal fan wanting to balance the depressive with the heroic, but not willing to compromise with weak blackened Power Metal hybrids.

Track list:
1. The Awakening Of The Dormant Fiancée
2. Necromelancholic Reveries
3. Wandering Through The Past Memories
4. Perverted Decadent, Dying, Love
5. Spectra
6. Morbid Romance
7. The Fragrance Of The Dead Rose
8. The Radiance Of The Astral Circle