Now this is what I'm talking about! Long running Hungarian band Sear Bliss deliver some wonderful atmospheric & progressive black metal on their latest The Arcane Odyssey, an album chock full of power, aggression, and bombast of grandiose proportions. This sixth release from the band (and first for Candlelight Records) is epic in every sense of the word, helped in great part by the inclusion of a full brass section, which adds an orchestral, proggy touch to these eight songs. Check out the churning, massive sounds on "A Deathly Illusion" fueled by effective vocal growls, crushing guitar riffs, and those ever present horns, adding an almost Celtic Frost meets Nile quality. "Blood on the Milky Way" is raging Hungarian black metal, while "Lost and Not Found" features deathly growls over slow, doom laden riffs. Nothing here is over-the -top speed like many of the Norwegian or Swedish black metal bands, the fastest pieces being the symphonic blast of "Thorns of Deception" and the frantic "Somewhere". The band substitutes speed for atmosphere & sophisticated arrangements, but make no mistake about it, this is first and foremost a metal CD, but one that is classy and quite progressive. The addition of majestic horns adds an element here that is quite unique, giving The Arcane Odyssey a dramatic quality that is sure to strike a chord with both metal and prog fans alike.

--Sea Of Tranquility