MONTE PENUMBRA with their newest album As Blades in the Firmament may be eligible for the award for the most stark change in sound and production. Well, at least in the black metal underground! Their previous album, Heirloom of Sullen Fall, was released almost 8 years ago, and at that time everyone was vying to compare this work with VED BUENS ENDE – yes, indeed, there was a lot in common with Written in Waters. However, the overly sophisticated and forcedly farfetched Heirloom of Sullen Fall is just amusement for listeners compared to the wild and aggressive As Blades in the Firmament. MONTE PENUMBRA have become thicker in production and structure, more powerful and heavier in sound and truer in black metal.