Mystic Charm - Shadows of the Unknown (1994)

Genre: Doom/Death Metal
Country: Netherlands
Year: 1994

1. Shadows of the Unknown
2. Mystic Charms
3. Window of Reality
4. Deadly Embrace
5. Saved Soul
6. Lost Empire
7. Beyond Darkness
8. Crushed Virginity
9. Endless Sickness

Download at Mediafire
Metal Archives Rating: 93% (2 reviews)
Last.fm

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This one's up there in my list of favorite Death/Doom albums. I love this release for the fact that it's uncompromising old school style Death Metal, alternating with Doom. There is great contrast on this album, with some morbidly slow songs like "Mystic Charms" and "Lost Empire", while faster-paced gems like Window of Reality really embody the heart and soul needed for Death Metal.

Incredibly crushing, the vocal style melds perfectly with the instrumentation. Like the demo, the guitars are tuned very low, but also with a crunchy, crispy sound, as to not sound suffocating like Incantation. You know something good's coming the moment you hear that first riff. Then the vocals set it. I should clarify from my demo review, these vocals are nothing like that operatic bullshit in Gothic Metal or anything. These are growled with a demonic lust that send shivers up your spine. I can really feel the evil emanating from this piece, what with the apocalyptic guitars and throat-slitting demon vocals tearing out of the darkness. A very dark-sounding album and a must have for any Death/Doom fan. Recommended.