Rossomahaar is a completely different band now. No longer is it a one-man project. The main guy Lazar recruited a formidable line-up including Stonehenge bassist Ruslan "Kniaz" and Tales Of Darknord/Der Gerwelt guitarist Alex "Ixxaander" Kantemirov. Musically too, everything has changed. The first demo "Grotesque" seems like another lifetime. Fantasy leanings are still present with the album's concept and lyrics, but that's it. Nowadays Rossomahaar specialize in crushing razor-sharp death/black metal - somewhat comparable to the Behemoth's latest works - with fairly extensive, though in no way overwhelming, use of keyboards. Or, to be more precise, they combine ravaging aggression of the better European (mostly Swedish) death metal crews with certain mystic, evil posture and symphonic elements of black metal. The song writing is well above average, the production is excellent, the execution is tight and sharp, and the last track "Portals Of Chaos (The Final Transmigration)" is Metallica cover, which the band turned into a completely novel creation. An extremely solid, if not outstanding, effort.

© 2000 boris