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If Italy has proved it possesses a decent Power/Thrash Metal scene over the years, with many worthwhile examples, the Italians also have a Black/Death Metal scene that's worth digging into.

Voltumna, from Viterbo, Italy, have released their second album, titled Disciplina Etrusca, and I am happy to say this 4-piece Black/Death Metal outfit kicks some ass. Musically they play a pretty straightforward mishmash of Black and Death Metal with occasional symphonic elements thrown in here and there. I would compare Voltumna to the defunct DeKalb/Chicago-based Black/Death Metal unit Sarcophagus and LA's Death Metal horde Rise. Voltumna have a sound much the same as those two acts. They are powerful, shamelessly epic, unorthodox, rather melodic and most of all, the kind of force that grabs your attention. Even the production is a success, which is great considering this is an independent release. There's a ton of heaviness and crispness in the guitar sound which they should be darn proud of. They have created a strong musical statement and have not forgotten about the visual side of the record either. All this makes Disciplina Etrusca worth purchasing in my honest opinion and Voltumna's cover version of Venom's "Black Metal" starts churches smoking.