Raw, Scandinavian Death Metal? That's how the Danish band Crocell label themselves. It's not wrong, trust me, but you'll certainly also hear close ties to US death metal a lá Morbid Angel.

Since the band's first album from 2008, Crocell have been shaping and moulding themselves into a highly effective death metal machine on the stages of our wee country and beyond, and despite a couple of line-up changes along the way - singer Magnus and guitarist Kenn left, the latter to join fellow Danish death metal veteran Illdisposed - the only way has been forward onto glory. The recipe hasn't changed much, really, but for an old-school metal guy like myself it's hard not to appreciate the ingredients: A good deal of hit the pedal and here we go death metal, a stint of fury, mid tempo monstrosity to build a good, solid epic momentum.

Take a tune like Dead Man's Poem. It starts out with a clean guitar and then grows into one of these mid tempo monsters that Crocell handle so well. The same can be said of Temple of Grandeur with its excellent acoustic intro. Then compare it with the full on blast of the title track. Is that a touch of melodic black metal? Perhaps. Or the blast of opening tune Tyrant of Iron. No matter what it is, it's dark and looming, and it works!

Crocell have always been a good, decent band, but now they are also show the maturity and self-confidence that can take them into the next league. Great effort!