Now, this is one of those strange entries where I use the word disappointed and underwhelmed, while with the entry below I had been chucking around superlatives like it was going out of fashion. The reason is is that this album has been hyped to within an inch of its life. It was being touted as Black Metal’s great (black and) white hope, as the true heir to Darkthrone and Mayhem’s charred and rusted throne. The simple fact, whilst this is a jolly good and highly atmospheric Black Metal album it is nought extraordinary or genre-splicing. There are some (Spoiler alert!) records to come that I do think fundamentally alter Black Metal’s axis, but as good as it is (and it is good) “Dawn of Infinite Fire” is not one.