Krieg, to this day still one of the most well known and prominent acts from the Black Metal scene in the U.S., are back with their sixth studio full-length album, "The Isolationist". While never the biggest fan I always had respect for the band and the last album I really paid any attention to was "The Black House" from 2004.

For starters, "The Isolationist" is probably the best Krieg album in terms of production, every song sounds great, and unlike most black metal albums, you can feel the bass (‘All Paths to God’ is a good example), and the guitars have a very smooth tone compared to a lot of the buzzy distortion found too often (even with new Black Metal music). With the help of vocalist Imperial, guitarist Joseph Van Fossen throws in a lot of dissonant guitars that create a chaotic like atmosphere. There are a lot of groovy old school sounding riffs as well backed up by Woe’s Chris Griggs behind the kit who does a terrific job throughout the entire album.

Imperial’s vocals are a highlight, his unique approach to singing goes beyond the typical screams and shrieks to a more harsh grunt which fits the album perfectly adding tons of emotion. "The Isolationist" is complex in many ways and stirs up several moods with some experimental pieces (but not so experimental like the latest Nachtmystium album). I had to listen to the music over and over again to get it.

I don’t have too many complaints with "The Isolationist" only in that maybe the number of tracks could have been shorter. I have never been a big fan of long black metal albums, and with "Isolationist" clocking in at almost one hour by the 8th or 9th song, the rest seem to drag. Black Metal albums that are shorter have a stronger delivery.

A worthy listen "The Isolationist" is like it or not, and I highly recommend it! Best tracks: ‘No Future’, ‘All Paths To God’, ‘Depakote’, and ‘Blue of Noon’.