SIN OF KAIN – The End

The End is the first full-length album of the promising Hungarian band Sin of Kain. These guys, technical and open minded, blast their way to the scene of Black/Death Metal with something worth hearing.

Sin Of Kain was formed on 2002 in Budapest, Hungary. Not a year passed and the band recorded its promo album Howling Sins Of Alighting Whim. Backed up with positive reviews and supporting feedback and after some major changes in line-up the band recorded an EP on 2004 labeled …Of Disharmony. The band signed a contract with Vic Records for two albums and listeners are introduced with this production, The End.

Gyula Havancsak who also worked with great names such as Annihilator, Nightingale, Grave Digger and Destruction conceived the album art of this release. Havancsak also designed the artwork for this album.

This album includes ultra-heavy Black/Death Metal. One might be reminded of Morbid Angel only far thrashier and with Black and Technical touches. Although very speedy and thrashy the performance is very accurate and high technical ability is evident throughout the album. The album contains very interesting, complex and, indeed, powerful bass lines and the part is performed excellently. The keyboard and sound effects are evident, but not too much, and cast the right, dark atmosphere. However, apart from the one instrumental track on offer here there are no lost solos or instrumental parts. Though, very technical in rhythm lines the solos seem to lack any special trademark and are not as speedy and shreddy as expected. In addition, the construction and form of the songs are very shambolic and contain far too many breaks for quieter sections. Moreover, those quieter sections seem to be the only melodic sections and wrongly so.

Highlights: Strong, speedy and dark Black/Death Metal: “Deathrow” has fierce presence with touches of melodies. Breaks in tempo and the atmospheric aura and interlude of the keyboard give an interesting perspective; “Cursed Name” is probably the best song on the album with an interesting beat, instrumental entrances and playful shifts in tonality and use of sound effects and yet very heavy still; “Questionless” is a heavy song that has all the virtues described above, moreover it has a wonderful break for a rock style guitar solo; “Outro …The End” is not a very interesting instrumental track.

Overall, The End is a good album. However, more unique and unexpected touches would add much to the style of the band. Sin of Kain is not yet a milestone in the scene of Black/Death Metal but they are promising – The End.