Band:	Spectral Lore
Album:	Sentinel
Style:	Dark ambient, Atmospheric black metal
Release date:	June 20, 2012
A review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. All Devouring Earth
02. The Dejection Of Arjuna
03. The Coming Of Age
04. Quest For The Supramental
05. My Ascension Into The Celestial Spheres
06. Atlus I
07. Atlus II

In spite of the current economic debt crisis of Greece, Ayloss refuses to be deterred. Not only has he managed to continue with Spectral Lore, but he may have just released his magnum opus: Sentinel.

Prepare yourself for a thorough journey through the eyes of a dejected warrior ascending above and beyond this world into space - perhaps a metaphorical escape for our musician, perhaps just an interesting concept album inspired by a hobby or two. In any case, this is the album you would want to bring with you on said journey... something dark, claustrophobic, chaotic, unrelenting. Something so sinister it makes the album title seem ironic. You won't find a guardian in the world to protect you from this defilement.

"Here rules the coyote and the snake."

Mysticism, heathen ideologies, and poetic lyrics aside, the music is still the defining characteristic of Spectral Lore, a harrowing campaign of burdensome ambiance, ominous riffs, grim melodies, caustic growls, and malicious drum work. More of the same but in a newfangled kind of way, devouring the listener without an ounce of remorse, crushing every bone in the body along the way with pulverizing magnitude: an esophagus of contorting black metal riffs and dark ambient soundscapes.

Seemingly endless in its approach, Sentinel manages to stretch well over the one-hour mark while never pushing itself into the corners of pretension or convolution, staying the course of atmospheric hell and picking up new demons along the way with every passing minute. They tear and claw at the listener - but only enough to agitate, never aggravate. These dark minions cling to any piece of you they can, whether it be garment or dermis, and only the two-part 30-minute minimalist ambient closer can calm them down.