On their second album, Norway’s Octavia Sperati (now no longer an all female act with the addition of drummer Ivar Alver), continue their more doomy, Anti-Nightwish take on female fronted Goth metal, and continue to impress with some improved song writing growth.

With an earthier, almost more stoner rock development from Winter Enclosure, these gals are still, filled with melancholy and a sullen female mope, and Madder Mortem are still a viable comparison, but there are plenty of moments of heft as heard on the impressive lead off track, “Guilty Am I”, the moody “Moonlit” and upbeat “Going North”. However, the band expose their estrogen with the superb ballad, “Don’t Believe a Word” where vocalist Silje Wergeland really impresses in her interplay with Tone Midtgaard’s delicate synths. The growth of the band shines for “And Then The World Froze” a fully developed, rich track of varying moods and textures that manages to capture the mix of darkly erotic, self loathing and shimmers of hope.

Even with tracks like “The Final Rest” and “Deprevation” the album isn’t quite as dark, depressing pr ‘cold’ as the debut, but it still have the same dichotomy as their debut in that its not peppy enough for Lacuna Coil/Nightwish fans and not quite stout enough for the death/doom crowd, though “Provenance of Hate” gives an admirable effort. There is another fine ballad for the penultimate track, “Dead End Poem” that serves to cement, that more evocative, delicate stuff is the bands strength.

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