Do not be fooled by the band name; this is proper black metal, not some castrated twerp who has yet to abandon his adolescent fascination with hobbits and other assorted nonsense. Judging from the few bits I have heard from their previous two albums, Sauron have improved noticeably, as the compositions are more potent, with a greater attention paid to detail. The guitar tone is deliciously sleazy and raw, and there is a definite Mayhem influence present in the manner in which Sauron are able to create an astounding atmosphere without resorting to acoustic guitars or keyboards -- not as easy to do as one may have thought. It does take a while to get into; I initially dismissed it as a rather boring and dull entrant, but became more engaged over the course of several listens as its nuances and intricacies were exposed.

Countess, Fluisterwoud, Galgeras, Haatstrijd, Weltbrand and now Sauron -- has the Dutch black metal scene ever been this strong?