Black Metal is a genre about which I tend to be highly selective - an attitude possibly linked to all the carbon-copy releases I've had to endure since the early 1990s. Once in a while, however, there does come along a band like Triumfall which whets my appetite with a refreshing take on the genre.

Maybe it has something to do with an insulated scene of origin (Triumfall are from Serbia) but the music within "Antithesis of All Flesh" has personality. For example, Triumfall make an intelligent use of keyboards while still maintaining the abrasiveness typical of the Norwegian scene. At this juncture I'm thinking of bands such as Carpathian Forest. 'Omega Overcasts the Presence' is one track that possibly encapsulates the band's music: gloomy mid-tempo moods, interesting riffs and breakneck speed wrought together in a way that somehow convinces. The album ends with the hissing sound of a vinyl spinning accompanied by a bass guitar ad lib all of which slowly fade out - again this suggests that Triumfall have given some thought about overall structure.

Apart from the above, the Black Metal cliches are all here but the main drawback of "Antithesis...." is its weak production - especially the sound of the drums. A shame, really.

Transcending the pantheon of Black Metal mediocrity, Triumfall have come up with a release that deserves some attention.