To/Die/For, the legendary goth rock and doomy metal band from Finland are back with their seventh album Cvlt. And unfortunately, the album is one big disappointment.

Let's start with the music itself: while To/Die/For used to be masters of gloomy doomy tongue-in-cheek metal, they now are serving us some lukewarm leftovers that got microwaved, with a cup of tasteless weak coffee.

Then we have the vocals: I thought the band had changed vocalist, because the silken voice of Jape Perätalo has turned into a raven's screech – without this change in vocal style fitting the album at all. It's just painful to hear – and it makes me wonder what the hell Jape must have done over the past years to destroy his voice like this.

While listening to the album, I just couldn't stop shaking my head at all the missed chances and failed ideas. What I did like on Cvlt was the cover of Paula Abdul's “Straight Up” - essentially because it is so bad that it became hilarious and enjoyable for those with a dark sense of humor.

To conclude: Cvlt by To/Die/For is a vastly disappointing album – the magic of their earlier albums has gone lost and the once so smooth vocals have turned into sandpaper.

Tracklist

1. In Black

2. Screaming Birds

3. Unknown III

4. Mere Dream

5. You

6. Straight Up

7. Let It Bleed

8. End Of Tears

9. Dying Embers (Demo 2001) (Digipak Bonus)

Label: Massacre Records

Website: https://www.facebook.com/tdfofficial

Score: 4/10