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Jerred Houseman (also in Akhenaten) from Manitou Springs, Colorado, keeps his creative juices flowing. Besides his musical ambitions in his successful main band Akhenaten, which is a mix of Black and Death Metal with some Middle East folk influence, he also needs to get his extra kicks in a bit of different areas like this side project.

Not only has Jerred written all the music for this 9-track effort, but he has also recorded and produced the whole thing. His brother Shane Wyatt Houseman gets credits for the vocal parts and lyrics.

Musically, Helleborus operates on a traditional symphonic Black Metal field in which some strong and often even captivating and gloomy atmospheres play important roles within the band's mostly fast, malicious, cold and at times quite unforeseeable and a bit avant-garde Black Metal. Jerred has clearly put a lot of his time and effort into the making of this album, leaving nothing halfway finished. There are many things to be enjoyed on the album, even for the not so Black Metal purists like yours truly. The knobs were in the right position as far as the production on the album is concerned. It's not too slick or polished, and instead is raw and clear enough.

The Houseman brothers should make this a full band instead of keeping it as a side "hobby" only. There's enough potential in Helleborus to keep this unit breathing the needed amount of fire and brimstone that it should become a steadily tormenting Black Metal horde.