In Finnish we exclaim, "Throw it at a seabird!", when frustrated by a malfunctioning and useless tool or device. The poor NETHERBIRD was very close to being thus hurled in malicious intent against one of its brother avians when after the short intro they decided its a good idea to start with a pure DIMMU BORGIR worship spiced by Dani Filth-ian screams in the first actual song "The Blackest Breed". Keyboard-drenched melodrama backing an over produced easy listening variety of extreme (only because of growled vocals and blastbeats) metal, full of hard rock-isms in the worst possible sense, is not the way to get anyone over 15 years old and with more than 10 black metal albums interested to listen through such a journey through the macabre in 2008.

The rest of the album retains a theatrical mood throughout but mostly, luckily, in a much more tasteful manner than in the aforementioned worst example. The critical difference lies partially in the strategy that the parts with synths reminiscent of the Harry Potter movie soundtracks are kept to interludes between the gothic horror metal tracks, the better of which place a definite emphasis on the melancholy and melodic early Gothenburg-ian riffs instead of the obvious vocals and pseudo-epic synths. Plus the mid-era THERION / early CRADLE OF FILTH concoction "The Beauty of Bones" is damn catchy. Sometimes also the overblownn nature of it all works in the favor of the whole, giving it the mood of grotesque and fun entertainment ARCTURUS and DIABOLICAL MASQUERADE used to have in their better days, yet without the absolute professional skill of any of the mentioned acts.

It is possible that parts of this album will be listened to again in the future, which is more than can be said about the biggest-selling names in this sub-style.

- Devamitra

OFFICIAL SITE: www.netherbird.com

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