Band:	Regul
Album:	Chambers Of Permafrost
Style:	Ambient, Black metal
Release date:	July 04, 2011
A review by:	BitterCOld

01. Jarym Ognem Nebo Gorit
02. Pokoi Vechnoj Merzloty
03. Holod Zamerzshih Serdec
04. Moroza Bezzhalostnyj Gnev
05. T'ma Poljarnoj Nochi
06. Toska Karpatskih Lesov
07. Krik Umirajuwej Prirody

Sometimes two tastes or flavors come together perfectly. See those old "bitch, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter? muthatrucka you got your peanut butter in my chocolate" Reese's Peanut Butter cup ads. Some times two flavors combined are still a bit odd and not for everyone, like fries and mayo.

The Russian doom project Regul combine two primary elements into their overall sound? blending an almost ambient suffocating distorted-guitar dark fog a la Nortt with light, whimsical keyboards that for whatever reason reminded me of the one Mortiis track I've heard.

Furthermore, this isn't the traditional soft-then-hard approach that blends from one to the next, i.e. soft passages that suddenly give way to thundering distorted doom. It's not a shift, it's a blend of both simultaneously. One layered on top of the other, with the keyboard portions predominately in the volume lead.

So, bleak woe juxtaposed against almost light-hearted fantasy?

It leaves me a tad confused. Thanks to the smothering sonic fog of the guitar parts, I should be digging and laying in my own grave, awaiting for the darkness to envelop and take me? yet at the same time, because of the fanciful keyboards, I feel I'm being pulled to the court in the hall of the mountain king? to drink mulled wine and whisper sweet nothings that make the serving maids blush.

Going back to that whole tastes thing, Regul is a lot like fries and mayo? I just don't get it. But while I might not enjoy frites and mayo, millions of Dutchmen do. And just because I don't fully appreciate this approach doesn't mean you won't.