BLACK CRUCIFIXION - Faustian Dream CD

For what amounts to a gothic metal release, this is very good and to some degree devoid of Theatres Des Vampires cheese. I'm not going to try and justify the warbling, UK goth rock style vocals, but they do work for what they are. Nor am I going to try and rationalize the really, really cheesy (but pretty excellent, honestly) synth intro. The rest of the music is surprisingly palatable though, even to people who think Sisters Of Mercy are worthy of a trip to the gas chamber.

Black Crucifixion ostensibly began as a raw black metal band, but there's really no trace of that sound anywhere on this record, which I guess makes sense since it came out after a decade of work and seven years after the band's last EP. This can barely be called metal most of the time and it's just a bit of extra intensity to the guitars and drums which occasionally make it so; calling this a goth rock album wouldn't really be missing the mark at all. It's a great goth rock album though, full of good, subtle keyboard melodies, intelligently crafted and structured riffs, and a very clean yet not sterile production job.