Pantokrator - Blod

Band Pantokrator
Album Blod
Genre Death/Doom metal
Label Rivel Records
Year of release 2003
Line-up Karl Walfridsson (vocals)
Mattias Johansson (guitars)
Jonas Wallinder (bass, violins)
Rickard Gustafsson (drums, guitars, vocals)
Line-up Marie Berntsson (vocals)
Tracklist:

1. Eden
2. Förbannad Mark
3. Blod Ropar Fraan Jorden
4. Syndafloden
5. Bundsförvant
6. Moria Kallar
7. Tidevarv
8. O Guds Lamm (instrumental)
9. Gudablodest Kraft
10. Evighetens Gryning

It took a long time before I actually bought this CD. This because I heard both a lot of good things ("best Death metal album ever") and a lot of bad things ("just another boring mediocre CD") about it. Eventually I decided I just had to try it out myself. And I'll have to say I am rather positive about this CD. Especially because of the female vocals. They just add that bit of melody, of variation that this CD desperately needs. The music is nice; crunchy guitars, timechanges for variation, raw grunting vocals. The crunchy guitars are rather typical for Pantokrator actually, it's almost their trademark. But the female vocals on top of this all just finish it. They're all mostly non-word singing, except for one song, in combination with violins, which are also present on this CD here and there.
Overall a pretty solid CD, definitaly not the best Death metal album ever or anything near that, but still a solid CD that many fans of Death metal should be able to appreciate.
Review by Max (April 04 - 2006)