Band:	Siebenbürgen
Album:	Loreia
Style:	Melodic black metal
Release date:	1997
Guest review by:	Bad English

01. Vampyria
02. Nattens Väv
03. Mardröm
04. Ungentum Pharelis
05. ...Om Hösten Död
06. Loreia
07. Att Dricka Nagons Blod
08. Vittring Av Liv
09. Morgataria
10. Dödens Sömn

Is this just a band, or something more? I say more; this is one of the most underrated melodic black metal bands. Not so many know it or listen to it, but it's one of the greatest in the genre. This album is an excellent masterpiece full of great melodies and arrangements.

Lyrically, Loreia is all about vampires and mid-'90s goth chicks (where are they now?). Nowadays we don't see in goth girls the passion for music they had in the '90s. There are still a few around, but they're all about parties and drinking, not music. It's sad, actually; it seems that people today have lost their passion for music, both listening to it and playing it. The album artwork itself makes me want to listen to Loreia. it's powerful, full of dark, romantic passion. If you are a friend to those things, the cover will make you feel the same way.

I went too far with talking about girls, so let's get back to the lyrics. Everything is in Swedish, so it's hard to explain to people who don't understand the language, but you can use your imagination. It's about vampires, dark passion, erotic stories with tragic endings... Basically, vampires. If you want to marry Elizabeth Báthory, you must buy her this album instead of giving her flowers from the local gas station and a romantic dinner in a fancy restaurant. I remember when I heard this as a newcomer to the black metal genre; I knew from the album artwork and song titles that it would be an epic journey.

As for the music - well, it's all a young man's/woman's game, with inspiring creativity and a search for the truth, waiting for better days to come. The music belongs to the melodic black metal genre, but arrived when the genre was young; if I recall, this was the first band in the genre we had in Sweden (though we already had many melodic death metal bands). There was old Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, and Limbonic Art in Norway; somewhere in Poland was Titan Mountain; in Mother Russia was Tvangeste. Here in Sweden? Hmmm... Just Crimson Moonlight and this band, so the genre was as pure as a virgin's blood, not poisoned with copycats.

This album is atmospheric, a journey of true imagination. Maybe it's not from the best studio, but it still has a high level of mixing and mastering quality. It's definitely not the digital sound that we so often hear now. Good thing Satyricon understands that. In my opinion, this quality of sound is what makes that time period so awesome. Loreia is simply a brilliant masterpiece. I always thought a bit of atmosphere brings black metal to a higher level than raw black metal (which is not a proper genre anyway).