Okay so I’ve just finished with my Lord of the Rings DVD and the book as well, what now? Well, there’s always *Rakoth *(meaning, master of darkness; the TRUE mage).

I was well up for some black metal anyway, and if it’s Tolkien inspired, what the hell, that’s a bonus! Unfortunately I can’t help but giggle at the attempt for synergy with mysticism and a dirge of pummelling black metal riffs. As one goes from the other it works well and indeed creates a good work, but when fused together, you can’t help but thinking of Spinal Tap and Stone Henge.

That’s not to say that there’s not a powerful mind-play at work here, some of the riffs are obviously arranged by an intelligent and creative group, and each track holds something new in it’s furtiveness. There are regular quotations from fantasy texts and Tolkien, so that die hard fans of Tolkien can extract something from this, the same with those who are into their black metal, especially circa the 1980s era.

Potent and different, Rakoth have brought something new, creative and dynamic into the fold with ‘Planeshift’ - and as the name suggests, it is entirely on a different plane of consciousness.

Looking more deeply into it, you can see that the makers of this record do break clearly above the likes of Cradle of Filth, but are left straggled by the likes of Orchid, or The Black Dahlia Murder.

‘Planeshift’ is a power blasting cheese-filled fantasy ride that will either leave you barely clutching your sanity, or your sides with laughter, either way, worth a listen for those into extremes, watch out for those flutes!!