From the ashes of Germany’s Nagelfar comes The Ruins of Beverast, a project originating in 2003. Rain Upon the Impure is the second cd. For a time period of one hour and twenty minutes you can commiserate with Alexander in a maelstrom of doom black metal.

Long songs, fuzzy guitars, droning synths, and hypnotic drums return. This is Apocalyptic black doom with great interwoven melodies and a more varied vocal approach this time. Basically everything that was weak on the debut has been addressed on the sequel. Writing 15-minute songs that should be 15 minutes is not easy and this time there are no neverending passages that try your patience. Well thought out, carefully crafted haunting songs delivered with excellent black metal production values is the result of a year of hard work.

Rain Upon the Impure is a very strong prospect for top ten album of the year honors. This disc is everything I had hoped Unlock the Shrine would be. The addition of chants and choir has a big impact and the carefully chosen samples, which usually I find to be distractions, fit in well. How many bands can boast about subtlety? It is the little nuances that come through after repeated listenings that really carry you through. The harsh brutality that all non-metalheads hear is of course present, but those of us attuned to metal are able to hear past the blasting and roaring. Alexander has written his masterpiece for us. “Soliloquy of the Stigmatised Shepherd” is a favorite song, but any song you get a chance to hear will impress upon you the need to immediately drop everything you are doing and place an order for this disc.

[Visit the band's website]

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