RUNEMAGICK - Moon Of The Chaos Eclipse CD

Runemagick are among most underrated bands in the history of metal. Their relative obscurity is hard to pin down. Musically, in terms of songcraft, atmosphere, and immersion into the unearthly realms of the occult, they are basically without peer. Yet despite a prolific twenty-five year existence, their reputation exists on the fringes: highly regarded by some but not highly enough considering the overall quality of their output.

Moon Of The Chaos Eclipse is another monster Runemagick record, fifteen years old this summer and yet this will be its first review. There is no justice in that. When it comes to the elemental power and occult allure of death-doom, there is hardly a better record to listen to. Runemagick's morose tunes, occult atmosphere, and penchant for bad trip riffs combine to form another intoxicating batch of criminally underrated tunes -- this is a fine record in the classic Runemagick style (think of them sounding like the bastard offspring of (early) Asphyx coupled with Electric Wizard but as good, if not better, than either of them).