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First full-length CD from this rather obscure German band. Black Abyss play a heavier, crunchier kind of power metal than the euro-standard, but then, they are German, with that definite German metal sound. Black Abyss sound like a cross between Wizard and Manticora, with Wizard singer Sven D'Anna even guesting on their cover of Maiden's "The Trooper". There are some majorly cool riffs here, and overall the songwriting is very enjoyable. The vocals are not that great, and the vocal melodies often lack focus, and this robs the songs of some of their impact. But songs like "Chainbreaker" and "Hunted Forever" are still headbangingly heavy and fun.

This is a good CD, if not a great one. Black Abyss are good enough to get the job done, and there is definitely potential for greatness here, but "Land of Darkness" comes off as too generic to really get excited about. If you like bands like Paragon and Wizard, then you can buy this with no regrets, because you will enjoy it. But then again, if you have any albums by those bands, you could skip Black Abyss, because there's nothing here you haven't heard.