Deep from the French underground comes this one man project and this offering is a rather pleasant surprise I must say. BALROG is about Black Metal for sure but avoiding to fall into the trap of being cliché and boring. First I would like to stress out the very good production of this disc, another proof that dedicated people with taste can come out with an excellent sound even on limited budget. Musically wise, “Kill Yourself” is interesting to listen to throughout its entire duration, a rather rare quality nowadays. The guitar parts in particular redeem with their melodic yet raw rendition the use of a drum computer, and each time monotony menaces to set in, a new idea springs out to recapture the listener attention. BALROG reminds me OXIPLEGATZ (especially on the “neutronized” track) minus of course the experimental edge, plus “De Mysteris…” era MAYHEM and the most furious moments by ULVER. The vocal parts are certainly one of the highlights of the album, with Balrog (the man) combining classic Black Metal shrieks with a somewhat cavernous Death Metal voice to the best of the results. Needless to say, the general mood of this album is bleak and gloom as the title suggests, but Balrog don’t rely on cheap satanic themes when penning his text, following a more articulate way to write down his obsessions. But don’t worry, the presence of the great Horned One can be felt here and there! I think BALROG is a project deserving to be supported, and fans of brutal Black Metal with a melodic edge should be pleased with this album. Contact Balrog at balrog6@caramail.com and Aeon Records at aeonrecord@aol.com or jbrollin@libertysurf.fr