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To make up for my slight disappointment over the latest Candlemass release 'King of the Grey Islands', I thought I'd dig into my collection for want of a better recording done by Leif recently - that being Krux's latest album, released in 2006. Featuring Jorgen Sandstrom (formerly of Grave/Entombed), Peter Stjarnvind (formerly of Entombed), Fredrik Akesson (formerly of Arch Enemy, now of Opeth) and the vocal talents of Mat Levins, it's not hard to see why many call this band a supergroup – but with so many musicians who featured in the death metal scene at his disposal, it's clear to see who calls the shots here as the music on display is firmly set in the old way of Mr Edling – that being doom of the finest caliber.

Kicking things off with possibly the best track on the album 'Devil Sun', Krux create a tour de force of doom, rarely straying an inch from the blueprint they created on their debut album for a minute. Downtuned guitars trudge, chug and bound in equal measures, with riffs building up slowly into a crescendo before a squealing guitar solo smashes it into obliteration, whilst Mat Levins strong vocals soar with the very best of them, capturing such power and emotion in every word uttered – perhaps he should've stepped into Messiahs shoes to give Candlemass a kick up the arse. There is possibly a greater usage of Hammond organ like keyboards on this album when compared to the debut, but that's certainly not a detraction at all – instead giving a darker, old-school feel to the proceedings. But, this is all about a doom masterclass as I previously mentioned, and most importantly, BIG doomy choruses, huge riffs the size of planets crashing into each other and a fantastic blood pumping multi-faceted vibe that 'King of the Grey Islands' sorely missed in my opinion.

All in all, this is great doom done by one of the founders of the genre, surrounded by a bunch of guys who are no strangers to the metal scene themselves. Well worth checking out.