This is the highly anticipated second full-length from Norwegian grammy winners, Audrey Horne. They consist of musicians from hot-shots such as Sahg and Enslaved, and are by some considered a supergroup. Don’t expect anything brutal though. This is melodic, but still heavy enough and with enough attitude to give you a fair amount of slaps in the face.

The music is carried by remarkably strong vocals by Toschie and heavy, catchy riffs by mastermind Arve Isdal (Enslaved). The album opens with a powerful quintet. Last chance for a serenade starts off with energetic riffs and mature vocals. Jaws and Last call has dominant and charismatic riffs with several nice melodic breakdowns. The same goes for Threshold, with its cool bass-doodle and slightly complex rhythm-sections. After the strong opening, the band continues in a darker and slower direction. However, they never leave their melodic roots, as things hardly ever get boring. Bright Lights is a good example on how Isdal blends in his influences from Enslaved, with both metallic and atmospheric parts. The vocals are mixed with special effects. It adds a short amount off spice which is well appreciated. The closing trio continues in the same manner with tons of hooks and great riffs, and the finishing So Long Euphoria is a definite highlight.

Audrey Horne has moments (and only moments) that is very similar to various grunge bands such as Alice In Chains. For the most part however, this is melodic, catchy as hell and sometimes dark hard rock on the boarder of heavy metal. The experienced crew contributes with quality song-writing and a warm, appealing production. This tends to get a little “slow” in the middle, but it all really boils down to a matter of taste. A quality release from the leading band within the hard rock scene in Norway is exactly what this is. Nothing more, nothing less. It is entertaining, enjoyable and catchy music that never fails to please my ears. If you’re interested in what your favorite black metallers are doing with their time off, I’m sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.