RAVENDUSK IN MY HEART

The first chord change of the album, major and minor alteration is a good start and sets the dark atmosphere. The one-man thinking band is not afraid to experiment, be it more traditional forms of metal (thrash/straightforward death or heavy), there are plenty of changes in music. Guitars are at best when playing atmospheric black metal seconded by progressive metal riffing. Vocals are raspy following traditional black metal. Keyboards are OK, complementary to some more mellow moments. The real weakness are the programmed drums that don't naturally have the live feeling of other instruments.

Blackheim is a strong composer and experimenter as evidenced by multiple motives in each song as opposed to raw primitive black metal. The fans of black metal will definitely appeal the vocal and riffing. I'm not that versed to compare the band to any traditional black metal group, I just known it's miles away from other experimental black metal bands like Ulver, Borknagar, Enslaved or In the woods. There are almost no acoustic moments and the brief acoustic interlude for about 1 minute is quickly compensated by relentless "The sphere in Blackheim's Shrine". For the fans of progressive or adventurous metal, you will need to give it a couple of listens to grow on you and get beyond the black metal layer.