How about just "Blood Stained?"

Kinda grabs you a little bit more-but then again once the onslaught begins, you can call the damned thing Mary Poppins and her little playthings and none of it means a thing!

Sheer brutality from one of the least likely of places, Alabama, amongst the bible belt itself and somewhere along the lines here's a band that must've lost their way somewhere between the lines of Armageddon and Hell itself.

Reminiscent early on of classic Cradle of Filth, inaudibly intense, an unholy massacre that no mere mortal could endure for very long.

"Dirge of Death's Silence" follows the impressive showing of the band's original demo shortly after their creation in late '97 and recalls all of the fiery splendor of their many Nordic counterparts who've been seemingly limitless in number since the dawn of this unholiest of crusades first brought about in the time when Bathory or Venom first clipped their wings.

And in an "Emperor's" return sort of dark descent, they've done well on this opening saga lent to the legions of the dark; those who reside within the netherworld to only come out at night for the bloody rituals that fuel their bleak existence, and one to wholly damn and destroy any semblance of humanity that lies helplessly in the way.

With all of the fire and fervor of the seasoned veterans of their horde, BSD had mastered the technique of bringing the finest soul-searing elements in the finest Satanic tradition-plummeting guitar riffs and flame retardant keyboard arrangements to complement the outlay of this, a nocturnal emission with little regard for sanctity-"dirges" to look out for in the near term include...

"Moon Behind The Storm," first track where if you survive this one, odds are you'll be scarred for life anyway so to proceed further poses little other risk...

"Renounce the Dawn," which fashions the "Dark Secret to Eternal Life…"

however to learn of this, much care must be taken and survival is all but assured, I also would choose "Vastland of the Empire Lost…" and really I don't think people know exactly how much textural history goes into this music… a challenge to read as much as to follow along-but careful not to get tears on the pages of text… or blood as the case may be.

Blood Stained Dusk is a fine example of Black Metal escapism from the withering world above, and "Dirge of Death's Silence" shows immense promise and poise for this most unsettling and ghastly looking cult from the South.

Something's gone dreadfully wrong in Dixie…

Released by Necropolis Records

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]