Review by Maciek on March 31, 2015.

The black metal scene of Norway will never stop surprising me. Keep of Kalessin was always a recognisable name for me, but it was always one of those which "I will listen to at some point". And before I realised it, the band is already on the scene for over 20 years and just released 6th full-length album "Epistemology". So to provide well-informed review, I've had a look at their previous 5 albums and realised that I missed quite a lot of good music over these years and am catching up now as I write this.

Keep of Kalessin seems to have gone through quite a transformation, starting with quite Emperor-esque black metal, some bits of death metal to most recent achievement of quite interesting and very epic, Enslaved-ish album. Some of their early albums reminded me of Carpe Tenebrum as well, so I think that should paint a picture of a band which doesn't like simple riffs or easy rhythmical constructions.

From the line-up and the band's video you can tell that now the band consists of only 3 people, with Obsidian Claw now bearing vocalist's responsibilities, which is probably the biggest change. And in my opinion it is a change for better, putting the whole process of firing the previous vocalist aside, this is not a gossip website after all... His clean vocals remind me Ihsahn a little, which always brings back some good memories. Growls and shrieks are also good quality, really good job. The band seems to be excelling in epic tracks, which usually last at least 5 minutes and this album follows this tradition. The riffs are still complex, reminding some of the best masterpieces from Dark Funeral, but this album definitely has more progressive elements, which brought the band closer to Enslaved now, with some epic elements almost too catchy and too melodic. But fans of agressive, fast-paced blast beats can still find something for themselves on this album. Maybe I'm too picky, but I would probably only prefer more live-sounding drums, as these sound a bit too plastic, but that doesn't ruin the overall rhythmic section at all, there are some boundaries to the speed and accuracy of humans and some bands need some support (like Limbonic Art, another favourite band of mine). I am really enjoying Thorns-like or Ved Buens Ende-like pulled up riffs in "Dark Divinity", which is probably my favourite track here, thanks to really good solos. "Universal Core" probably my second favourite. Really strong position this year, the band which is really maintaining the same high technical level with this album having maybe a bit more melodic vocals, but since I'm a fan of clean vocals in Emperor or Solefald, this actually makes me like this album even more. I don't miss Emperor anymore.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Maciek on March 31, 2015.

The black metal scene of Norway will never stop surprising me. Keep of Kalessin was always a recognisable name for me, but it was always one of those which "I will listen to at some point". And before I realised it, the band is already on the scene for over 20 years and just released 6th full-length album "Epistemology". So to provide well-informed review, I've had a look at their previous 5 albums and realised that I missed quite a lot of good music over these years and am catching up now as I write this.

Keep of Kalessin seems to have gone through quite a transformation, starting with quite Emperor-esque black metal, some bits of death metal to most recent achievement of quite interesting and very epic, Enslaved-ish album. Some of their early albums reminded me of Carpe Tenebrum as well, so I think that should paint a picture of a band which doesn't like simple riffs or easy rhythmical constructions.

From the line-up and the band's video you can tell that now the band consists of only 3 people, with Obsidian Claw now bearing vocalist's responsibilities, which is probably the biggest change. And in my opinion it is a change for better, putting the whole process of firing the previous vocalist aside, this is not a gossip website after all... His clean vocals remind me Ihsahn a little, which always brings back some good memories. Growls and shrieks are also good quality, really good job. The band seems to be excelling in epic tracks, which usually last at least 5 minutes and this album follows this tradition. The riffs are still complex, reminding some of the best masterpieces from Dark Funeral, but this album definitely has more progressive elements, which brought the band closer to Enslaved now, with some epic elements almost too catchy and too melodic. But fans of agressive, fast-paced blast beats can still find something for themselves on this album. Maybe I'm too picky, but I would probably only prefer more live-sounding drums, as these sound a bit too plastic, but that doesn't ruin the overall rhythmic section at all, there are some boundaries to the speed and accuracy of humans and some bands need some support (like Limbonic Art, another favourite band of mine). I am really enjoying Thorns-like or Ved Buens Ende-like pulled up riffs in "Dark Divinity", which is probably my favourite track here, thanks to really good solos. "Universal Core" probably my second favourite. Really strong position this year, the band which is really maintaining the same high technical level with this album having maybe a bit more melodic vocals, but since I'm a fan of clean vocals in Emperor or Solefald, this actually makes me like this album even more. I don't miss Emperor anymore.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Maciek on March 31, 2015.

The black metal scene of Norway will never stop surprising me. Keep of Kalessin was always a recognisable name for me, but it was always one of those which "I will listen to at some point". And before I realised it, the band is already on the scene for over 20 years and just released 6th full-length album "Epistemology". So to provide well-informed review, I've had a look at their previous 5 albums and realised that I missed quite a lot of good music over these years and am catching up now as I write this.

Keep of Kalessin seems to have gone through quite a transformation, starting with quite Emperor-esque black metal, some bits of death metal to most recent achievement of quite interesting and very epic, Enslaved-ish album. Some of their early albums reminded me of Carpe Tenebrum as well, so I think that should paint a picture of a band which doesn't like simple riffs or easy rhythmical constructions.

From the line-up and the band's video you can tell that now the band consists of only 3 people, with Obsidian Claw now bearing vocalist's responsibilities, which is probably the biggest change. And in my opinion it is a change for better, putting the whole process of firing the previous vocalist aside, this is not a gossip website after all... His clean vocals remind me Ihsahn a little, which always brings back some good memories. Growls and shrieks are also good quality, really good job. The band seems to be excelling in epic tracks, which usually last at least 5 minutes and this album follows this tradition. The riffs are still complex, reminding some of the best masterpieces from Dark Funeral, but this album definitely has more progressive elements, which brought the band closer to Enslaved now, with some epic elements almost too catchy and too melodic. But fans of agressive, fast-paced blast beats can still find something for themselves on this album. Maybe I'm too picky, but I would probably only prefer more live-sounding drums, as these sound a bit too plastic, but that doesn't ruin the overall rhythmic section at all, there are some boundaries to the speed and accuracy of humans and some bands need some support (like Limbonic Art, another favourite band of mine). I am really enjoying Thorns-like or Ved Buens Ende-like pulled up riffs in "Dark Divinity", which is probably my favourite track here, thanks to really good solos. "Universal Core" probably my second favourite. Really strong position this year, the band which is really maintaining the same high technical level with this album having maybe a bit more melodic vocals, but since I'm a fan of clean vocals in Emperor or Solefald, this actually makes me like this album even more. I don't miss Emperor anymore.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Maciek on March 31, 2015.

The black metal scene of Norway will never stop surprising me. Keep of Kalessin was always a recognisable name for me, but it was always one of those which "I will listen to at some point". And before I realised it, the band is already on the scene for over 20 years and just released 6th full-length album "Epistemology". So to provide well-informed review, I've had a look at their previous 5 albums and realised that I missed quite a lot of good music over these years and am catching up now as I write this.

Keep of Kalessin seems to have gone through quite a transformation, starting with quite Emperor-esque black metal, some bits of death metal to most recent achievement of quite interesting and very epic, Enslaved-ish album. Some of their early albums reminded me of Carpe Tenebrum as well, so I think that should paint a picture of a band which doesn't like simple riffs or easy rhythmical constructions.

From the line-up and the band's video you can tell that now the band consists of only 3 people, with Obsidian Claw now bearing vocalist's responsibilities, which is probably the biggest change. And in my opinion it is a change for better, putting the whole process of firing the previous vocalist aside, this is not a gossip website after all... His clean vocals remind me Ihsahn a little, which always brings back some good memories. Growls and shrieks are also good quality, really good job. The band seems to be excelling in epic tracks, which usually last at least 5 minutes and this album follows this tradition. The riffs are still complex, reminding some of the best masterpieces from Dark Funeral, but this album definitely has more progressive elements, which brought the band closer to Enslaved now, with some epic elements almost too catchy and too melodic. But fans of agressive, fast-paced blast beats can still find something for themselves on this album. Maybe I'm too picky, but I would probably only prefer more live-sounding drums, as these sound a bit too plastic, but that doesn't ruin the overall rhythmic section at all, there are some boundaries to the speed and accuracy of humans and some bands need some support (like Limbonic Art, another favourite band of mine). I am really enjoying Thorns-like or Ved Buens Ende-like pulled up riffs in "Dark Divinity", which is probably my favourite track here, thanks to really good solos. "Universal Core" probably my second favourite. Really strong position this year, the band which is really maintaining the same high technical level with this album having maybe a bit more melodic vocals, but since I'm a fan of clean vocals in Emperor or Solefald, this actually makes me like this album even more. I don't miss Emperor anymore.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 12, 2019.

Bands from Serbia did not appear on my radar for a long time. Fortunately, things have changed and The Stone, Space Eater or Zloslut have proved the metallic heart of this country. Yet this does not mean that I accept everything that comes from Serbia. It sounds strange to me that Twisted Tales have released a new album in Serbia which will be released globally on the 20th of September, because... forgive me... it is only a digital release. So, for me, the Nuclear Assaultian analogue man in a digital world, they have actually released nothing at all. What weird kind of album is this that I cannot hold in my hands? Go and seek a record label for a physical release instead of telling me, well, twisted tales about a product I cannot see.

Either way, Twisted Tales dish up a bastard of thrash and death metal. The thrashing elements prevail, but the vocals, for example, have a growling touch that rather points into the deadly direction. Details aside, the compositions have a solid substance. Even after a silent period of seven years after the last album, this is anything else but a matter of course. I know a band that is not able to release a substantial full-length after a break of more than two decades. Indeed, even the metal universe is no Sacred Reich. Yet it seems that Serbia is a hotbed for extreme metal, because Twisted Tales join the ranks of promising bands from this area. Some great tunes prop my thesis.

"Father", for instance, draws the listener into the song in a matter of seconds and its main riff sends greetings to Melechesh. "Trapped Under Glass" thrives on its very cool and simultaneously sharp guitar work. The main riff of "Open Your Eyes and See" is also excellent and the shredding one-tone-parts lend the song a kind of hardcore feeling. Open your ears and listen, that's my advice... Not to mention "Misanthropia", a late highlight with expressive guitar lines and a fine mix of staccato-oriented and well-flowing parts, including inter alia an accurately attacking mid-part. Generally speaking, the musicians like rasping guitars in order to create a robust degree of harshness. Sometimes the songs must be put under the microscope, otherwise one will not find any trace element of melody ("Sheol"), but believe me, there exist some melodic fragments.

Unfortunately, the group is prone to an overdose of music. Instead of giving the old less-is-more-dogma a chance, the album clocks in at 58 minutes. Sad but true, the dudes offer almost a handful of half-baked numbers. For example, the programmatically titled "Slow Down" suffers from its creeping chorus. Together with some fast-paced sequences, the song is somehow incoherent. "Hellfire" sounds relatively uninspired until its fantastic mid-part appears where soft guitars introduce a really original solo. But I should not lose too many words about the little weaknesses, because a do-it-yourself combo like Twisted Tales - the band is responsible for the powerful and well-balanced production - deserves my respect and even idealists can fail from time to time. What really counts is that legions of thrash death metal maniacs will fall in love with the majority of the tracks if they only would knew them. Maybe it is time for a physical release?

Rating: 7 out of 10

Review by Maciek on March 31, 2015.

The black metal scene of Norway will never stop surprising me. Keep of Kalessin was always a recognisable name for me, but it was always one of those which "I will listen to at some point". And before I realised it, the band is already on the scene for over 20 years and just released 6th full-length album "Epistemology". So to provide well-informed review, I've had a look at their previous 5 albums and realised that I missed quite a lot of good music over these years and am catching up now as I write this.

Keep of Kalessin seems to have gone through quite a transformation, starting with quite Emperor-esque black metal, some bits of death metal to most recent achievement of quite interesting and very epic, Enslaved-ish album. Some of their early albums reminded me of Carpe Tenebrum as well, so I think that should paint a picture of a band which doesn't like simple riffs or easy rhythmical constructions.

From the line-up and the band's video you can tell that now the band consists of only 3 people, with Obsidian Claw now bearing vocalist's responsibilities, which is probably the biggest change. And in my opinion it is a change for better, putting the whole process of firing the previous vocalist aside, this is not a gossip website after all... His clean vocals remind me Ihsahn a little, which always brings back some good memories. Growls and shrieks are also good quality, really good job. The band seems to be excelling in epic tracks, which usually last at least 5 minutes and this album follows this tradition. The riffs are still complex, reminding some of the best masterpieces from Dark Funeral, but this album definitely has more progressive elements, which brought the band closer to Enslaved now, with some epic elements almost too catchy and too melodic. But fans of agressive, fast-paced blast beats can still find something for themselves on this album. Maybe I'm too picky, but I would probably only prefer more live-sounding drums, as these sound a bit too plastic, but that doesn't ruin the overall rhythmic section at all, there are some boundaries to the speed and accuracy of humans and some bands need some support (like Limbonic Art, another favourite band of mine). I am really enjoying Thorns-like or Ved Buens Ende-like pulled up riffs in "Dark Divinity", which is probably my favourite track here, thanks to really good solos. "Universal Core" probably my second favourite. Really strong position this year, the band which is really maintaining the same high technical level with this album having maybe a bit more melodic vocals, but since I'm a fan of clean vocals in Emperor or Solefald, this actually makes me like this album even more. I don't miss Emperor anymore.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Maciek on March 31, 2015.

The black metal scene of Norway will never stop surprising me. Keep of Kalessin was always a recognisable name for me, but it was always one of those which "I will listen to at some point". And before I realised it, the band is already on the scene for over 20 years and just released 6th full-length album "Epistemology". So to provide well-informed review, I've had a look at their previous 5 albums and realised that I missed quite a lot of good music over these years and am catching up now as I write this.

Keep of Kalessin seems to have gone through quite a transformation, starting with quite Emperor-esque black metal, some bits of death metal to most recent achievement of quite interesting and very epic, Enslaved-ish album. Some of their early albums reminded me of Carpe Tenebrum as well, so I think that should paint a picture of a band which doesn't like simple riffs or easy rhythmical constructions.

From the line-up and the band's video you can tell that now the band consists of only 3 people, with Obsidian Claw now bearing vocalist's responsibilities, which is probably the biggest change. And in my opinion it is a change for better, putting the whole process of firing the previous vocalist aside, this is not a gossip website after all... His clean vocals remind me Ihsahn a little, which always brings back some good memories. Growls and shrieks are also good quality, really good job. The band seems to be excelling in epic tracks, which usually last at least 5 minutes and this album follows this tradition. The riffs are still complex, reminding some of the best masterpieces from Dark Funeral, but this album definitely has more progressive elements, which brought the band closer to Enslaved now, with some epic elements almost too catchy and too melodic. But fans of agressive, fast-paced blast beats can still find something for themselves on this album. Maybe I'm too picky, but I would probably only prefer more live-sounding drums, as these sound a bit too plastic, but that doesn't ruin the overall rhythmic section at all, there are some boundaries to the speed and accuracy of humans and some bands need some support (like Limbonic Art, another favourite band of mine). I am really enjoying Thorns-like or Ved Buens Ende-like pulled up riffs in "Dark Divinity", which is probably my favourite track here, thanks to really good solos. "Universal Core" probably my second favourite. Really strong position this year, the band which is really maintaining the same high technical level with this album having maybe a bit more melodic vocals, but since I'm a fan of clean vocals in Emperor or Solefald, this actually makes me like this album even more. I don't miss Emperor anymore.

Rating: 9 out of 10