Symphonic black metal is
Graveworm's chosen method of attack, and their sonic resemblance to
Cradle of Filth is simultaneously their benefit and their bane. Fourth full-length manifesto
Engraved in Black is quite competent in performance, execution, and production, but when placed in the context of other releases within their genre, it's ultimately dry and derivative. Clocking in at less than 40 minutes (42 if you have the limited-edition digipak with a bonus track), the album is refreshingly direct and concise when compared to most bloated black metal prog opuses, and it's full of Gothic synths, articulate riffing, dramatic bravado, and guttural-to-piercing-rasp vocal trade-offs on which the aforementioned
Filthies banked their artistically successful career. The album is padded by two short keyboard-heavy instrumentals ("Thorns of Desolation," which utilizes flute and bagpipes, and "Apparition of Sorrow"), and tracks such as "Legions Unleashed" and "Abhorrence" offer spot-on time changes and a memorable riff or melody. ~ John Serba