"Diadem of 12 Stars" marks the first release by American atmospheric/ambient black metal masters, Wolves in the Throne Room. Let me start by saying that this band and album have had some impact on the black metal scene itself, reminding us that there is more behind black metal's sound than Satan, but rather it expresses a furious spirit that demands we return to a heathen existence. "Diadem of 12 Stars" turns this nature inspired fury into a raw, pure form of black metal recorded on to two-inch tape that further improves the band's natural sound.

The multiple moods of this album are reflected very well in the atmosphere; anger, sorrow and happiness all come together perfectly clear and understandable, yet remain disorienting in the fact that they leave you in utter reflection of things. This slight disorientation is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can reveal to you the ills of the modern world, as Wolves in the Throne Room had intended to do through their music: raise awareness on the subject. These moods could also be seen as being reflected in different personas, with happiness being brought by the wonderful female vocals, especially in track two, "Face in a Night Time Mirror (Part 1)," which reminds us that nature is indeed beautiful, and is something to be respected, cherished and embraced by all. The guitar works this way too, featuring a lush, vibrant sound that projects images of the greenery featured on the album's own cover. At times, the guitar can create the exact opposite: a very sorrowful atmosphere expressing rue for the modern world. The high pitched shrieks that are so common in black metal are prevalent in this release, but are thankfully not one dimensional. They express the very same woe for humanity as the guitars, and do so along the guitars and occasionally the female vocals, and range from nearly guttural to very high. The drums could be looked at as the natural exoskeleton of this album, pushing it forward by building tension, and bringing it all down into beautiful, sorrowful guitar interludes. The synth is nothing short of amazing, and is never overused, but used in extreme moderation. It too adds to the epic soundscapes Wolves in the Throne Room aims to create, and does so with extreme gusto.

This album is a true masterpiece of the more obscure, heathen subtype of black metal. Its unexplainable emotional and thought invoking atmosphere can only be understood only by those who can appreciate nature and other forms of black metal, or by those who can appreciate all. If there is a flaw to "Diadem of 12 Stars," it's the total length of one hour and how much patience it takes to fully appreciate it. Other than this, "Diadem of 12 Stars" is nothing short of perfect, and Wolves in the Throne Room have done very well in creating this spectacular slice of heathen pride.

So here we have Rings of Saturn, a technical/experimental death metal/deathcore band who were conceived in the Summer of 2009. What makes their debut album "Embryonic Anomaly" so special? I'll tell you what.

From the cosmic, yet whimsical opening of "Seized and Devoured" all the way to the eerie closing track "End of Humanity," this album drew me in with its myriad of spacey riffs, juicy death vocals and clean, complex (but still unrelentingly brutal) drumming. And you know what? It kept me right where it lead me to, the whole way through. This album is truly a memorable experience, and I'll explain why.

After quite a few intensive listens, this album really started to grow on me. One reason is that the riffs, being stranger than anything I've ever heard, aren't that of modern technical death metal bands. They are their own thing completely, and are brilliant at that. These riffs will utterly perplex you, leaving you both scratching your head in wonder and wanting more; they grab your attention immediately. And unlike a lot of other releases, these riffs are found all throughout the album, and will continue to hold your attention the whole way through.

Second, the production of this album. "Embryonic Anomaly" features crystal clear production for being independently released. A lot of people would frown upon this, asking themselves if the band could replicate this sound live. However, in this case the crystal clear production is a perfect fit for the album. As for the instruments and how they fit in with each other, every instrument is perfectly audible and in sync with one another, with the exception of the bass, which I had to listen for. Even thought the bass is nearly inaudible, it does get a few chances to shine through on its own, notably 50 seconds into the relentless killing machine that is "Corpses Thrown Across the Sky," which features the most intense breakdown I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.

Ah yes, the breakdowns. There are many throughout the album, from the alien-esque one that wraps up "Invasion," to the one mentioned above, all the way to the spacey, drawn out one featured in "Final Abhorrent Dream." While there are many, I did not find myself annoyed like I do with most generic deathcore bands. If anything, the breakdowns add to the ferocity of this cosmic chunk of experimental death metal.

The lyrics. While being about alien invasion, they're still pretty stock death metal, so don't expect the seriousness you'd get from bands such as Obscura or The Faceless. Even though they contain the stereotypical death and gore of a stock death metal release, it fits perfect with the playful and mischievous atmosphere of this album, so no sweat.

This release is truly excellent in all it's alien glory, and I'm giving it a full 100% for its uniqueness, reasonable length, and for being extremely memorable.