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Well, I never thought I would see the day. Runemagick had a stellar run of occult Doom/Death albums from ?98 all the way to 2007, but they called it quits then, and I thought Dawn of the End was probably the last we would hear from them. I am happy to find I was wrong, and the band is back with a new album that has not lost a step.

In general, Runemagick started more deathy and got doomier as they went along, so their later works were very murky and sludgy, while never losing that trademark sound. This is an album that sounds like it could have been recorded ten years ago and nothing about it would stand out. Nicklas Rudolfsson still has an ear for rolling, crunchy riffs, and the production is a sharp, heavy job that still does not sound too modern. This is one of those bands that knows just what they are good at and then they just fucking do it. If you like Doom/Death, then this band pretty much sets the standard.