Count Raven The Sixth Storm

For the select few, Count Raven belong to a select group of truly excellent bands that helped shape what would become Doom Metal. They represent an often forgotten side of the genre, along with other Scandinavian masters, Reverend Bizarre and Lord Vicar. Before this album, it had been 12 years since we had gotten a full length from the band, 11 since we had heard new material. Before that, the last album was 1996 ... So getting new Count Raven music is a pretty special occasion, and one that should be treated with the appropriate pomp and circumstance. So no - there are no real surprises on this album, but that doesn't mean it can't be damn good. The band has aged remarkably well and all the classic Count Raven tropes are back. Dan Fondelius has once again conjured magic and proven that his deep understanding of trad doom is basically unmatched.