Originally formed in 1991, Tenebris is a progressive metal band that has had a rough time in marinating a steady line-up and getting major label recognition. After releasing two full-lengths in 1994 and 1996, vocalist/guitarist/frontman Przemyslaw “Szymon” Szymaniak managed to make a string of EPs between 1997 and 2002 with fellow guitarist Mariuaz “Mario” Kuszewski and bassist Tomasz “Gruby” Folwarski. After internal struggles forced the band to break up shortly after the completion of The Comet, the band has reformed in 2005 and is seeking to win over major label support with Catalfalque – Comet, a compilation of their best songs released on the obscure EPs between 1997 and 2002.

Tenebris’s music is a bit difficult to describe. The songs seem to have a wandering quality to them, teasing the listener with interesting melodies and song structures, but never really lets any of the better parts of the album develop properly. Beginning with an eerie keyboard intro, You’d Better Fear Light starts thigns off on a somewhat awkward note, most notably because of Szymon’s experimentation with harsh vocals (think of a less intense version of Ihsahn in his early Emperor days) and the energy-killing mid-section that severely disrupts the flow of the song. Neflim/Annunaki has a strong and melodic first half, displaying some well-done vocal melodies on Szymon’s part, but due to the awkward execution and timing of those snarls and what sounds like coughing into the mike towards the end, the songs flow is chopped up in a way it didn’t deserve. However, Tenebris really seems to start hitting the mark with An Alien Harvest, which begins with a monstrously energizing lead riff and finally manages to find a nice balance between Szymon’s singing and growling. Hello (An Alien Life Form) is somewhat of an oddball, starting out with a riff that sounds like it came straight out of the 80s book of hard rock, the song speeds things up a bit and manages to raise its head above the pack. The last really notable track is The Comet. A soft vocal line with keyboard accompaniment eventually gives way to a killer mid-section, with a very melancholic, yet all too brief keyboard motif that should have been developed much further. Unfortunately, Tenebris suffers from being unable to create any songs that really stand out; any songs with that almighty hook.

Production-wise, the vocals are mixed a bit too high, the guitars a bit too quietly, and the drums much too softly. It was a real struggle trying to single out anything coming from the drums on this album, namely the bass drum. The musicianship here is not flashy at all, and is actually pretty straightforward for a prog band. Put simply, the heavy parts just aren’t balls-out enough, the melancholic parts aren’t sad enough, and the melodic parts rarely get memorable enough from making this a stand-out release. If the band could find some new energy and focus, they may be able to pull themselves out of the slump of obscurity they have found themselves in for quite some time now.