• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I've been following Sinister Realm since their debut, and while I have found every album of theirs entertaining, they have never really stepped up into great band status. This album, their third, is not different from their last two. While their second album The Crystal Eye was a big step up from the debut in terms of catchiness and overall songwriting, this one treads some water.

This album sounds a lot like the last one, without the real standouts like "Signal the Earth" that got stuck in my head for days. There are some solid tunes on here: The title track, the hooky "Prophets of War", and the excellent closer "Four Black Witches". But, as fun as they are, Sinister Realm seem very content to write a lot of songs that sound like the so-so ones on the last album. If that had been a five-star album that would be awesome, but it wasn't. This album has much less variance in speed and dynamic, less identity between songs, and fewer catchy choruses. Again, the band is addicted to an extremely muffled and weak production job in the spirit of sounding retro, but it hurts them. If this band had a really cool guitar tone, this album would be much more satisfying.

All that said, there are some great songs on here, and fans of the last two albums will find a lot to like here. I know I keep ragging on Sinister Realm for what they aren't, because I feel like they could be a completely awesome band if they just pushed a bit more. Not every band has the capacity for greatness, and seeing this act get sooo close every time without quite hitting it is driving me crazy. I want this band to be as great as I suspect they could be, and I won't settle for less.