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The Russian extreme underground scene has lots of potential. It has produced many talented and great names over the years, and it's kind of unfortunate that many of them never seem to have success outside of the Russian borders due to the labels' relatively limited promotional resources.

Gul Taosa, formed in 2009, is one of those many Russian acts that undoubtedly would do really well everywhere, if people could just find them. They play symphonic Black/Death Metal, somewhat similar to Dimmu Borgir, but with death growls and the main emphasis being on more Death Metal riffs, blast beats and stuff. It's a safe recipe that they have for their Black/Death metal bombardment and when done well, it definitely works.

On the band's debut album, titled The Agony of the Sun, this Russian Metal patrol has managed to create a pretty dark and oppressive aura around their songs, thanks to the effective use of keyboards and overall ability to paint the horizon in all kinds of powerful shades of black. This is meant to surround your miserable being, like it or not. On The Agony of the Sun, Gul Taosa sounds "big" with this pompous atmosphere, and they probably also tend to appeal to a lot of people equally both in the Black and Death Metal camps. There's nothing in their sound that would push you away from them like some vicious Ebola virus. So, give them a chance and a listen. You may well thank me later...