1. The Mirror of Ages (1999)

Country: Slovakia

The Mirror of Ages (1999, Unknown Territory)

Style: Doom/death metal with ethereal female vocals and deep gutteral growls.

Here's the band to prove that the Iron Curtain was a political artifact. Hailing from Slovakia, Galadriel can put almost any D/D band to shame. The only shortcoming that keeps it from being the best, is the excessive reliance on the male vocalist, who roars well but can't sing to save his life. His girlfriend is much much better behind the microphone and it's a shame they failed to take full advantage of this. With her barely recognizable English, the performance is even more impressive because it adds an esoteric quality to the music.

"The Mirror..." is the band's sophomore effort and shows a pleasant progress and maturation (though they still have some way to go before becoming polished). The tunes are somewhat standard doom fare, albeit a little heavier at times (the drummer being a confessed Blind Guardian fan does show in his double-bass addiction). The band also mixes some traditional Slavic melodies and weaves a tapestry of images that conjure up the spirits of the forest. You can almost hear the vampires roaming the glades at twilight.

Without the overt pretentiousness of Theatre of Tragedy, Galadriel would score much higher in the rating if it weren't for the affliction of the male singer (which cost them at least a point). The production lacks somewhat; the music is depressed and muddy and the picture on the cover is amateurish. Also, where, the hell, are the lyrics?

Verdict: if you are hungry for this type of music, get it. Otherwise, you might be better off with Theatre of Tragedy (for now).