Hey, you like music? Yeah? Well, I've got a real treat for you. Now pay attention. When I asked if you liked music, I meant all kinds of music. Sure, you may have heard that this band Dunwich is kind of like Nightwish. Okay, I wouldn't disagree. But, where Nightwish carries the torches to the castle drawbridge, Italy's Dunwich sprints through every room in the castle setting them ablaze.

This disc is so pure and artistic. With its string, brass, and choir arrangements, "Heilagmanoth" transcends all boundaries of commercial acceptability in their genre. But here's the funny thing, I don't even know what genre this is! Yeah, they have a phenomenal operatic female singer like Nightwish and After Forever, but they use all kinds of other musical flavor that those bands have not touched upon. The use of Irish and Japanese flutes, Udo drum and bongos, among a mass of other instruments puts Dunwich in a whole other genre really. It is almost a "classical rock" kind of thing. It has the texture and poise of Brahms and Bach, with the guitar crunch of rock contemporaries like Dream Theater and Queensryche.

The drawback to making music like Dunwich has here is the fact that not everyone can grasp the magnitude of it. For the casual listener that's looking for a catchy song to tap their foot to, this will probably frighten them. This is for the music aficionado; the person that can sit down and pick out a particular chime or drum sound amidst the ocean of music and tune in to it and fully enjoy it. The songs here are very complex and detailed. For me, a person that listens carefully and analyzes the intricate details, this was like a day in paradise. Dunwich puts some wonderful elements to work here, and songs like "Beowulf," "The Flying Fear," and "Leaves on the Altars to the Moon" are great examples of a band that utilizes extraordinary talent to craft exciting works of musical art.

Official website: www.dunwich.it
MySpace profile: www.myspace.com/dunwichband