Karcinoma pretty much sound like what you would expect from a third wave black metal band circa 1997/1998: an abundance of melody, strong but not excessive use of synths and keys, and a love of trebly production. However, there is still enough novelty -- especially a love of trebly and melancholic passages -- to allow them to stand out from others establishing themselves at the time.

There are five songs, totalling 35 minutes, but a "remix" of opener "The Night" sans the intro is appended as a bonus track. The reference to "remix" is a misnomer; I think "remastered" was the intended term, as the bonus track simply sounds more professional and better suited to their variation of black metal. Four other tracks fit the above motif, barring "La Musique". The acoustic nature and French lyrics sung entirely by Yana stand out like a white man at a Nation of Islam session. It's perfectly located to act as an interlude between the blackened blasting, but it's so much more than that and it is a definite highlight.

This album is not quite a classic, and its suitability for the re-release route is highly debatable, but it is sufficiently entertaining for me to regret their move to the horrendous sounding "gothic power".