Krohm is an American one-man band, playing melancholic, slow-to-mid paced Black Metal. The "one-man" in particular is Dario Derna, keyboardist from the Doom Metal band Evoken. This is a CDR compilation of their first two demos, "Crown of the Ancients" and "Slayer of Lost Martyrs".

This music is quite impressive - for the most part it's made up of slow, repetitive, oppressive guitar textures, backed by simple drumming (drumcomputer, perhaps?), background synth, and the occasional mournful acoustic guitar. As far as influences go, I can hear a lot of Burzum and Manes in this. The weird, floating keyboards are especially reminiscent of Manes.

Although the influences here are obvious, Krohm is one of the few bands that can actually succeed in summoning depressive, textured Black Metal art without falling into the traps of boredom, overly "happy" riffs, or unoriginality. Everything here meets my satisfaction - the cold, distant vocals, the wall-of-sound guitar, excellent songwriting, and simple, anything-but-clear production which heightens the claustrophobic feel of the songs.

Any fan of Manes, Abyssic Hate, or mid-career Burzum should find something of value here. Judging by the quality of these songs, I'll eagerly await any future releases from Krohm.

Available on CDR direct from the band for $10, postage paid. Contact:

D. Derna,
PO Box 1055,
Cromwell, CT 06416

Standout tracks: "Veneria's Call", "Slayer of Lost Martyrs", "Gone Astray"

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