Skytemple may be from Belarus, but they specialize in distinctly Western European brand of melodic death metal, but with a medieval twist and occasional use of keyboards. Not that they make it sound very original. These guys demonstrate a certain amount of talent, but not enough. A few decent parts here and there, a few good melodies, but that's it. The riffing is not very inspired and sometimes reminds me of At The Gates. Perhaps if they didn't try so hard to sound like their Western counterparts and instead drew more from their own culture, they could end up with better results. Then again, maybe not. Uneven production and the use of a drum machine don't help the matter either. I must say that my favorite parts of the album are neither of the actual songs but the mellow, melodic guitar interludes they dispersed throughout them.

I'd hate to put down a Belarusian band, but this one is just average. I hesitate to say that it's bad, but then it's not good either.

Shadow Productions:
P.O. Box 40
224023 Brest
Belarus

valkalac@mailexcite.com

© 2000 boris