(Century Media Records)

2010

A thing that I look in a black metal album is for the band to have something new to say and to offer. I like the traditional fast, evil staff but I also like evolution. So Dark Fortress return with their new album “Ylem” two years after “Eidolon” which was an excellent work of melodic black metal. The first thing that you notice about “Ylem” is that it is Dark Fortress most difficult and diverse effort to date with over 70 minute of music. The tempo varies from the classic fast black metal to the slow, cold, sophisticated, majestic, epic songs. And this is the thing that makes “Ylem” such an amazing album. The band has evolved and added new elements to its music. If you listen to songs like “As The world Keels Over”, “Evenfall” or the huge, epic “The Valley” (which is dedicated to the memory of Quorthon) you will understand what I’m saying. I think that the fact that guitarist and songwriter V Santura participates in Tom Gabriel Warrior’s new band Triptykon has played a big role in Dark Fortress music evolution. I also want to give a huge credit to the vocal work done by Morean that is absolutely amazing. He managed to produce such an atmosphere in every song with his screams and growls that takes the whole album to a higher level. “Ylem” is an excellent example of how black metal should evolve and puts Dark Fortress in the area that is occupied by bands like Enslaved or Keep of Kalessin that have the same view of black metal. Album highlight is in my opinion the magnificent “The Valley” with its cold, creepy, epic atmosphere. So if you want to listen to a black metal album that has something new to say and you are familiar to the bands previous works then you should definitely check it out. One of the highlights of 2010 for the black metal scene.

Ulver81