Cryptic Wintermoon: Of Shadows... And the Dark Things You Fear

CD, Massacre Records 2005

Track list: The Dark Things You Fear - Thrashomatic Overdrive - Portals of Nightfall - Bonegrinder 1916 - Synthetic God - Where the Oceans Meet Eternity - Grave Without a Name - Once... In the Windblasted North - W.A.R. (Without Any Regret) - Heavy Armed Assault - Open Fire - Grim Frost

Cryptic Wintermoon's black metal is laced with thrash and heavy metal elements. At some points it's full on black metal blast, at others the heavy metal melodies rule. That's actually quite nice, as it all works out rather well. There are some very good tracks (Bonegrinder 1916, Once... In the Windblasted North), even though the rest of the album doesn't quite stand out. Decent, if nothing really memorable. ***