A-goth-odaimon would be a more appropriate moniker, the band even having an old church and graveyard on the cover. Musical constructs based on styles made famous by people in black trenchcoats, Higher Art of Rebellion is cooler than it ought to be, as I find myself trying not to look at the band shot and just enjoy some true metal hooks. I like that the guitar dominates the keyboards here, usually not the case in these albums. We';ve got the evil elf vocals making their destined appearance though, these usually fair woodland creatures all pissed off by the trolls I suppose. These are at least offset by clean and spoken word sections though, overlapping and joining forces to offset the ravaged throat. A lot of this sounds just like simple chord progressions (which is one reason the hook factor works so well) beefed up with superior production and Casio undertones. The drums are mixed way back though, not too apparent, but noticeable. Things slow down to ballad land midway through, becoming a little cheesy for my tastes, but things pick up again. An album that I';ll just throw on when I want some dark ambience in the background, but not something that I';d throw in my walkman at the gym, know what I mean?