Cemetary released a pair of goth-inflected albums,
Sundown followed by
Last Confessions, and the latter is clearly the better effort of the two. The relatively empty tones of
Sundown gave way to a churning eighth-note grind on this 1997 offering, which fans of the heaviest goth metal would certainly appreciate. It's this barely contained thunderclap that drives almost every song on
Last Confessions. Each of the record's first three tracks ("Forever," "Caress the Damned," and "So Sad Your Sorrow") are prime examples of
Cemetary's updated rhythmic overdrive. The tempos change starting with "Twin Reactor," and the record loses life throughout its second half as a result. But despite the subtle fades during "Fields of Fire" and others, there's enough good material -- heavily weighted toward the record's front end -- to recommend this, the band's final record. Fans of
Cemetary and the particular Scandinavian goth metal the band almost perfected should enjoy the aptly titled
Last Confessions. ~ Vincent Jeffries