THE MIST FROM THE MOUNTAINS "Monumental: The Temple of Twilight" CD

Hailing from the ever-fertile Finnish scene, The Mist From the Mountains are a brand-new formation with a very old heart. Their chilling-yet-breathtaking ruminations harken to the golden days of melodic, nature-inspired black metal, back during the mid '90s. Names invoked include old Borknagar, Kvist, Arckanum, Old Man's Child, Norway's Gehenna, and even earliest Dimmu Borgir - but on evidence of their first public recording, the full-length Monumental - The Temple of Twilight, The Mist From the Mountains are well on their way to forging an odyssey all their own. Encompassing six songs across 38 minutes, Monumental - The Temple of Twilight is simultaneously swift and expansive. Right from the spine-tingling anticipation of the album's portentous opening, The Mist From the Mountains soon whip forth a fury that's paradoxically widescreen, cloaked in splendorous synths which spark the imagination and send the listener into a righteous reverie. Indeed, energy is always foremost for the five-piece, with two vocalists - Kim Strömsholm and Tuomas Karhumäki - handling duties with equal aplomb. However, as with the best nature-inspired black metal