Formicarius released their debut digital single only last year, “Lake of the Dead”, but that gained them some recognition and directly led them to being included on the Sony/Music For Nations’ compilation album, ‘Speed Kills VII’. Now they are here with their first full-length album and a website where they declare themselves to be ‘The Heralds of English Black Metal’, corpse paint and all. The problem I have with this is that I find myself smiling all the way through it, which isn’t really the impact that one would normally expect with music of this type. The keyboards at times are less Hammer House of Horror and more comedic, while the vocals sometimes do a great job of being Danii Filth, but at others it is trying just too hard.
The songs themselves aren’t bad, in a black metal thrash metal crossover sort of way, but the delivery lets it down. If I was the guitarist, Nazarkardeh, or the drummer, Aelle, then I’d probably be looking for new band as they are really quite good. Possibly if your idea of Black Metal is a poor man’s Cradle Of Filth then possibly this might be of interest, but if you are into Darkthrone, Emperor, Anaal Nathrakh or countless others then I’d pass this one by.
