In metal, a musician's history isn't necessarily a good indicator of what his/her next project or undertaking is going to sound like. Take
Bibleblack
, for example.
is a project that
Mike Wead
(who is known for, among other things, his work with
King Diamond
,
Candlemass
, and
Mercyful Fate
) put together with fellow Swedish guitarist
Simon Johansson
(whose resume includes
Abstrakt Algebra
and
Memory Garden
). But
's debut album,
The Black Swan Epilogue
, doesn't sound anything like King Diamond or Candlemass; this 2009 release is a lot more extreme and lot more brutal.
is best described as a mildly technical mixture of death metal and black metal with hints of metalcore in spots. Some parts of the disc are relatively melodic, and the album is given a spooky, eerie atmosphere.
Cradle of Filth
, England's best-known black metal band, is among the influences. But even though
have some nuance, this is still an abrasive, vicious sledgehammer of an album. And no one will mistake
for either
King Diamond'
s old-school power metal or
Candlemass'
Black Sabbath
-influenced doom metal -- which, of course, is the point. The last thing
Wead
Johansson
wanted to do was turn
into a
or
tribute band. Unfortunately,
is uneven; most of the tracks aren't terribly memorable. But the album has its moments, and
's impressive track record makes one want to keep an eye on
and see how the project develops.