Band:	Adveniat Hiems
Album:	Loki
Style:	Black metal
Website:	http://adveniathiems.blogspot.com/
Release date:	October 2009

01. Iving (Intro)
02. Loki
03. Midgardsorm
04. Fenrir
05. Hel

Ok, so just so you all know, Lady GaGa will be nominated for this year's Metal Storm Awards. In the 'Extreme Doom' category, to be precise. Does that shock you? Well... if it does, get your facts straight. Lady GaGa is Extreme Doom just like Adveniat Hiems is 'Ambient Black metal'. Who, you may ask? Adveniat Hiems, Italian newcomers to the scene, signed by net label 'Ekleipsi'. Loki is their first-ever effort and today we're going to discuss its merits and its flaws.

So really, Loki is not Ambient Black metal at all, but straight up rawish Black metal with a couple of touches from the depressive and symphonic scenes of Black metal. Far worse has happened than mis-tagged bands (let's bring Lady GaGa back in), so let's drop that now. Loki is a twenty minute long EP filled with... generic Black metal. Rejoice.

The more I listen to this, the more it turns into background noise. It's Black metal, it features dark riffs and croaked Abbath-like vocals, but it's completely harmless at the same time. It's done by pretty much all the guidelines. A moment of calmness, a part where clean vocals are used, and generic Black metal everywhere in between. You know the deal, dark and sharp riffs and ditto production, which often has a depressive feel to it. There is one thing that grabs my attention everytime, though. But it's far from a good thing. It's some sort of 'sound effect' in "Midgardsorm". It sounds a bit like 'weeweeweeweewee'. Yeah. I have no idea what it is, what it is caused by and if it was intentional or not, but it annoys the shit out of me. Seriously, once I get trapped in it's repetitive loop (and I always get trapped) I simply cannot get out. I can't really hear anything besides that god-damn sound until the next track happens. Just sayin'.

In short, Adveniat Hiems is nothing special, but ok. Don't listen to them too often on a single day and you'll be alright. Their music is a bit redundant, I guess, and they won't make any top-xxxx-lists but it's Black metal and if you like that, check it. If your time is unlimited. Otherwise, go look for something else. There's a lot worse, but there is also so much better stuff out there