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I think Forgotten Tomb is the depressive black metal band by choice. Screw all those other half-assed bands who think they're 'depressive' or 'suicidal' because they can't record for shit, Forgotten Tomb can do something clean and not too raw and still create the most negative music ever. I discovered this band in 2004 when Love's Burial Ground was released, which was critically acclaimed that year for its depressive sound. This is their first full-length and considered by many to be their magnum opus (although their other albums are also excellent and I have yet to hear 'Negative Megalomania'). Unlike a lot of bands in the genre, the production here is surprisingly clean, but don't get me wrong: it's heavy. The guitar tone is somewhat reminiscent of (or maybe inspired by?) bands like Beatrik and Nortt (although Nortt has a completely unique and harsh sound, I won't deny that). One may think the Forgotten Tomb recipe for making a depressive song lies in being repetitive and in creating trance-like atmosphere, but it's the complete opposite. The first track, for instance, doesn't really drag on itself and doesn't feel repetitive at all. The clean guitar tone in the intro instantly creates an incredibly solitary and obscure tone. This atmosphere is further improved near the 2 minutes mark, where the modified (to good effect) vocals kick in. Now I'm no master of production, but it's something similar to Sun of the Sleepless' work on their split with Nachtmahr (more specifically on the song Spring '99). The rest of the song continues in a rather slow fashion, occasionally switching to clean guitar. A good comparison for this band would be Shining (more specifically on the excellent 'The Eerie Cold'), minus the acoustics and more atmospheric parts. What fascinates me the most about this album is how it manages to be extremely negative but still throw in a couple of melodic/speedy riffs here and there. The production is immaculate, more specifically on the clean guitar passages. An excellent album overall, which any fan of so-called "depressive black metal" should own. This is the real deal.