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Ten years after the now-classic debut For Mircalla, we finally get the follow-up from this most cult of cult metal bands. After six years of inactivity, Howie Bentley has put together a solid lineup and brought us another masterful slab of Doom so occult and fantastic he just put it in the title.

This time out, everything is just a little better than it was before, and that was already really fucking good. The production is better, with more depth and clarity yet not sacrificing that underground vibe. Howie's riffing has always been complex and intricate as well as heavy, but this time I really think he's outdone himself, and Occulte Fantastique just bristles with riffing that is heavy and involved, but also addictively hooky. The songwriting overall is first-rate, with every element being properly balanced. The lead work is also just top-notch, with a blistering, shredding approach that adds to the songs and takes nothing away.

The rhythm section is solid, and it is nice to hear such good bass work on this album. Phil Swanson has always been an acquired taste as a vocalist, but this is the kind of thing he does well, and he has been improving over the years, as well as getting over his aversion to using a bit of reverb, so he sounds pretty good this time out.

This album is just a feast for old-school metalheads and Doom fiends. If you want heavy fucking Doom that is basically the musical equivalent of a Hammer movie, then this is the shit right here.