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I received this unexpected promo from the Czech Republic and I must be thankful to the person/label that has put in a good word for me. (You're welcome – Ed.)

Cales is a one brave soul act and it is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Blackosh. KRF is not its first but fifth album in career, so I guess I have some catching up to do! With a dark/mystical cover art like that, it can't be bad, right? I was hooked by the Viking vibe of the opening track, "Barbarian Paganus". Introduced by some kind of party where people laugh and play with their swords, this song continues with a punchy and powerful Viking hymn. The production on KRF is huge and powerful. Maybe even a bit too much, especially for the bass parts. The guitar is crunchy and all, backed by the bass and the drum is kicking. The entire album remains pleasant and melodic. Delicate arpeggios and leads are frequent, as well as some calmer parts. Acoustic guitars add the expected organic touches to this musical genre, and yes, this to my selfish pleasure. With the acoustic guitar comes a folksy feel that is completed by nature and animal samplings like thunder, waves, horses, crows and birds. A bit of ambient keyboards and a touch of accordion create the proper atmosphere.

KRF is a superb album which includes quite a few great moments such as "Barbarian Paganus", "Pass in Time", "Savage Blood" and "Magnificent Masterpiece of Apocalypse".