Crimson Moonlight - Eternal Emperor (1999)
From Sweden comes Crimson Moonlight and a 5 song ep called "Eternal Emperor" that I am sure will please alot of metal fans. A very textured 5 piece melodic Christian black metal band, these guys seem to have the art down. I feel this band is quite original in their perception of music and their direction of they style of black metal they play. The band is very keyboard oriented and the keyboards remain in the front right with the singer. The speed of the cd varies... while at times it is very emotional and slow, it then jumps into some faster paced music that pretty much keep that some sorrowful emotion that black metal of this calibre is known for. Lots of double bass and fill action take up this cd which keep their music on an interesting level. Although they are not a super fast band, the musicianship definitely makes up for it as these guys are extremely talented players. The guitars are sort of buried in the mix, but have a sound that make the songs a bit more eerie than one would expect. Quite a good guitar sound to say the least. The vocals are that of a gruff style more along the lines of the old death metal band Nocturnus. Even though they are of an older death metal vocal style, it fits with Crimson Moonlight very well. Although this isn't my type of black metal, I would recommend this to those who like their music on an emotional level with extremely skilled musicians. -- Review by Shannon