Band: Kromlek
Title: Finis Terrae
Label: Trollzorn
Distribution: Soulfood / Metal Revelation
Release date: April 8th 2011
Review: CD

Germany’s Kromlek did record two interesting albums before, both of them released through Trollzorn as well: the 2005-MCD Kveldriður and the full length Strange Rumours… Distant Tremors (2007). Both of them did have both their peaks and lows – sometimes magisterial and convincing, sometimes predictable and boring.
Years went by, so the band could grow; and Finis Terrae proves they did. The album, which lasts for sixty eight (!) minutes, is more coherent than before, which is the most positive evolution with the past. The whole was recorded at the Helion Studio with Equilibrium’s René Berthiaume (who also contributes as guest vocalist).
Like both former recordings, this album is extremely varying: lots of intros, intermezzos, solos, tempo-changes and additions from different angles – like oriental and electronic elements, several Folk-interludes and blackened outbursts, orchestral and bombastic passages versus guitar-driven Rock hymns, epic versus reticent, vocal variation (mainly screams and many grunts), guitar riffs in the most traditional Heavy Metal-vein, … This diverse and pounding Pagan-Black effort never sounds alike, but in comparison to both former studio releases, the hymns on Finis Terrae are consistent and coherent.
Two important additions: 1) besides René Berthiaume’s guest appearance, the album features guest vocals by members of Heidevolk, and 2) the lyrical concept is well-thought again. The main texts are performed in English, German and some Swedish, yet with a couple of parts in e.g. Sanskrit, Latin and Arabian.

75/100

Ivan Tibos.