This is Russian symphonic Black Metal, and the first release of the Russian underground Metal label, More Hate Production. Imperium Tenebrarum is the debut of Rossomahaar after a demo back in 1997 entitled Grotesque which was hardly spread at all.
Rossomahaar isn't very much like traditional Black Metal, though you find many of the characteristics. I find this much more varied, melodic and groovy, which gives it a catchy feel, but it's still brutal. The vocal's like a growling, grindcoreish mixture of Black and Death, so it's hard to understand the lyrics if you don't read them in the booklet. Actually, there are some clean, elegic male choir here as well, and some cool Black-vocal chanting
The songs and riffs vary from heavy, slow, mighty mid-tempo stuff to speedy, frisky, traditional heavy-metal inspired stuff as well as agressive blast beat parts. There's even a few solos here and some acoustic playing...
The last track, Portals Of Chaos [The Final Transmigration] features an entirely new version of Metallica's The Call Of The Ktulu. The melody is the same, but with new lyrics and some other instrument-usage as well as Synth. The prodcution's suprisingly good, and it's been said that the studio used, CDM Records Studio, is Moscow's best. The soundpicture's quite clear, but it's still agressive and brutal...
| Lazar | Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards |
| Ixxaander | Guitars, Screams |
| Kniaz' | Bass |
| Sigizmund | Drums |