SOMNUS -

SOMNUS - THROUGH CREATION'S END - ROOT OF ALL EVIL
One has to wonder why a band would call itself Somnus (the Roman god of sleep), but seeing that a name is just that and the scene also has a band called Hypnos the point is granted. The American quintet's second full-length is again music termed, by most, atmospheric metal. Yes, Somnus layers the K&F (keyboard & female vocals) thick and creates a sound consciously attendant to atmosphere. At times the special arrangements meant to enhance the mood come across as potentially damaging to this band performing live, but that is not our immediate concern. Having said that, the band's drummer is especially successful/guilty of injecting different mood-enhancing beats to the overall picture. Fans of the genre can do far worse, yet listening to the fluent guitar playing on a song like Dawn Of Spirits makes one wonder why the band did not take the metal route all the way. Look for a live song called Unfulfilled Prophecy, a CD ROM bonus song and a fantastic cover depicting a witch collecting the universe in its cauldron. - Ali "The Metallian"