Published: November 1, 2013

Based on the band name one would expect a collective that resides in Mediterranean areas, but on the contrary. We are dealing with a band hailing from Ukraine, active since 2007 in the doom/death metal genre. Earlier they have released an EP and a demo, but with Once Hidden From Sight they are ready with a full length debut album. Pivotal man appears to be guitarist Serge Pokhvala as composer and in his Nightspirit Studios recordings were done. Vocalist Andrew Tkachenko is also known from Autumnia. Keyboardist Alex Vynogradoff has written two classical tinged piano tracks with a French title, yet instrumental. Since this year, he joined the ranks of Kauan. They have been working on this debut album for three years, but these guys appeared on several Eastern European festivals, they opened for Saturnus and Mourning Beloveth and they have delivered a proper visiting card with this album. The songs are lengthy, the atmosphere gloomy and dark and influences from My Dying Bride, Saturnus and other doom bands are obvious. Yet they add a personal touch here and there. 

The long A Study In Scarlet opens with MDB inspired guitar wanderings, the spoken fragment instantly reminds me of Saturnus. Grunts are regaled with refined guitar leads. Yet sometimes they descend so deep into dungeons that it has the nearest approach to funeral doom, even tough one can enjoy a fine acceleration and an acoustic passage. Nowhere Is Here follows the same lines. Acoustic notes, beautiful soloing and an outburst with growls. In Silent World some clean vocals and even harmony vocals pop up. Once again an acoustic part leads towards a sure-fire eruption to invigorate this doom/death metal. These coherent tracks are intermittent with two songs with a French title, but they are wordless since they are instrumental and written by keyboardist Alex Vynogradoff. These are exceptional and long interludes that might be a fine break for those who like a bit more variation in doom metal. As final track we have another lengthy, epic doom/death track Matr which comes up to all expectations of the genre. This is a very meritorious debut album.