Now, taking a closer look at what is happening here, you come to two points very quick:

1) Eitrin really dig deep in the dissonant cave, so anybody who is into clear and imminent melodies in BM will not find much joy here. The dissonant accords are used to create tensions and to underline certain lyrical ideas while you are assured of the fact that the musicians know every second what they are doing. Even more so for the music perfectly serves as the vehicle to transport the very special vocals here.

2) The voice of „Mütterlein“, that is vocalist Marion LeClerq, really does the head-hitting job here.

I really would have to dig deep in my distorted mind to remember a female BM-vocalist that touched me like that (if I would know there is one!). If you follow the lyrics with all your mind, you come to the conclusion she really means what she sings: from hate to rage, from fear to despair. And you follow her through every muddy swamp, every magma field, into every mind-loosing rage or fearful retreat, where everything is lost in darkness but the scream of hope is still worth your final breath. All in all this is labeled „Progressive Black Metal“ and it really is. The musical range is from slow tempo to high speed (no blastbeats needed here…) breaks every now and then, so you may never loose track of what is happening. The sound is full and well balanced and meets up with todays expectations and on top the lyrical concept is unusual, so worth taking a look into.

Just beyond some 37 minutes for 7 songs is the downside of the album, for it feels it could have been more. And added that there are some intro/outro silent parts at the beginnings/endings of songs there is a feeling that this is overdone because it's used more than once. But this is complaining at a very high level.

Review by Starduster for Undergrounded.de

1. RICIN - The bloody king of all poison
2. SARIN - Consigned to oblivion
3. CYANIDE - A cracked dam
4. PHENOL - Sinister
5. ARSENIC - The eye of the whale
6. MUSCARINE - What is sacred
7. CURARE - The silence of the innocent