Ad Inferna has been around since 1996, first bearing the name De Profundis. In this incarnation they released a couple of demo’s, which were released by Requiem Records, and a debut album under Nocturnal Music. In January 2000 the band was forced to change their name due to copyright reasons and they took the opportunity to change their style.

Their music can best be describes as melodic black metal in the vein of Dimmu Borgir with a hint of (early) Dismal Euphony. Especially the voice of vocalist Vicomte Vampyr shows a remarkable similarity with that of Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir. Another thing they got in common with that band (and in fact with the whole genre) is the length of the songs, 5 minutes is as short as it gets.

The main problem I have with this album is that although it contains some excellent sounds, good musicians, and good production, it’s going nowhere. The songs are completely non-repetitive. Some may say that`s good because it isn’t predictable but to me it’s like listening to a mix of “the best of melodic black metal”. I must admit that after a few listening sessions the album grew on me a bit, but it never seems to be able to grasp my whole attention. Maybe that’s just me, so if you are into melodic black metal, give it a shot.