Aeternus, one of the mainstays of Norwegian dark metal, returns with
Shadows of Old. Staccato percussion and deep growling vocals and snarls are the featured elements in "Under the Eternal Blackened Sky," and it is a style that appears frequently throughout the album. (Because of the depth of vocalist Ares' voice, lyrics can be challenging to discern at times.) "The Summoning of Shadows" opens with an exception to their usual style; a lovely melodic instrumental at first, it displays quite a different aspect of the group, showing that they have folk roots, too. Then it suddenly breaks into the rapid-fire drumming and the rumbling vocals return. Soon, it's pounding again, raw and stark as ever. Metalheads will get what they're looking for. Recommended for fans of black metal and death metal. ~ Murrday Fisher