Want a nice recipe for a hearty meal of American black metal? Take a good dose of NACHTMYSTIUM, XASTHUR, LEVIATHAN and KRIEG, chop them up, mix them in a blender and there you have TWILIGHT, a US black metal supergroup.

The various elements of each above-mentioned band can be heard in each of the nine songs on this disc, creating an interesting mix of songs. The album opens with a grotesque aural assault that sounds like it has risen from the depths of hell to convert all non-believers to the black metal god (whoever that may be). There's lots of fuzzed-out groove riffing (reminiscent of something BULLDOZER would have pulled out in the mid-80s), along with a lot of totally extreme stuff, some fast stuff, some atmospheric slow epic stuff and some truly bestial moments in-between.

All in all I found it quite enjoyable and I think most fans of the black would concur. At first, a criticism would have been the production lacking crispness in some spots. But after quite a few listens I really believe that the fuzz, the distortion and the oft drowned-out, muffled vocals are necessary to create such a dark, apocalyptic atmosphere. You only have to look at the cover art to gauge where they are coming from. I think that this is one of the cases where sterile production could possibly have detracted from the feel of the album. Recommended.

- Saltry

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/twilightusbm

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