Mixing melodic Death Metal with symphonic sounding Black Metal can be done well and convincingly… and this Russian 5-piece band, NIMPHAION, surely ain’t any rookies at impressing people quite a bit by their skills and talent just for that. During the times of "Flame Of Faith", I guess it should be mentioned that there were even 2 females in the NIMPHAION line-up, both of them obviously bringing in a whole new, different type of blistering flame into the band’s mishmash of Black and Death Metal ingredients, and within NYMPHAION’s sound, I believe. If some band comparisons are needed, listening to this record is like melting bits and pieces from WINTERSUN, CHILDREN OF BODOM and DIMMU BORGIR into one big, metallic mold – and the result could be something like the Russian sympho Black / Death Metallers NIMPHAION, but with less innovative and original ideas – and lotsa borrowed elements from some other bands, so to speak. However, nothing can take it away from the NIMPHAION camp that they can certainly create some big sounding extreme Metal, which surely appeals many fans of extreme Metal in general. There was one thing on the "Flame Of Faith" album that pushed me away from this release quite a bit – and in all honesty’s sake even managed to disturb my listening pleasure just a little, were the split vocals of both Vadim and Alexey, having no idea which of these 2 aforementioned fellows did these very dry type of screeching and snarling on this 2nd album of NIMPHAION? Well, at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter so much after all. At least all I know Alexey stepped aside from the NIMPHAION troops in the beginning of this year, and has now been replaced by a new soldier in the line-up named Demether Grail. Now trying to draw something out of the written lines for you above, "Flame Of Faith" is definitely a worth listen release with its highs and lows, but obviously this Russian bunch might be capable of coming up with better things in the future even? Time will surely tell… NIMPHAION: www.facebook.com/nimphaion, label: www.morehate.com