When the press material starts off with the term: ”Innovative Black Metal band”, I at once raise my blocks, nothing good can hide behind such a term. That was a part of why I was blown out of my chair, after my first listen to “Cyclic”.

The band has its base in dark and ice-cold black metal. Icing guitarriffs, ear piercing vocals and destroying drum work. But together with the before mentioned, does the band incorporate awe-inspiring industrial elements in the sinister scenario. Together with progressive jazz parts and thundering death/thrash.

Even though the music is pieced together from a lot of different elements, does Lunaris keep the threads tight together and makes the music move and seem like a whole. Besides that is the sinister and gloomy atmosphere kept throughout the album.

It is very good to hear a band renew itself and the music, without losing the grip of the original genres. The song writing on this album is very good and the musicians abilities are great too. Besides that is the album blessed with a really good production. The sound changes character after the styles of music. Especially the cold and rattling sound, which embraces the black metal parts is great.

Besides the many great black metal screams and crazy growls which haunts the album. It is great with the clean and dreaming vocal, which is used at times, it is really suiting for the overall atmosphere.

Lunaris is the newest musical chameleon on the dark musical scene. They are taking us through their black metallish world, as well as they spices it up, without throwing away the distinctive black metal dogma and evilness. That shouts out high class, not many have pulled that off, many many bands have failed this discipline throughout the years. But finally here’s one who have the abilities and means to do it good. Brutal, atmospheric, eerie and pitch-black sums up the album.

[This review was first published on the now defunct scandinavianmetal.info webzine]