The doom metal band Isole, few days before their appearance at Up The Hammers Festival of Athens, releases their fourth full length album, which places them as one of the best doom bands of the latest years. The new album, same as the last 3, comprises 7 songs of classic doom metal with evident Candlemass influences, especially on the guitar work. The 2 guitarists offer us some great metal riffs and that’s one of the highlights of the cd.

"Silent ruins" starts with the 11-minute song “From the Dark” which is followed by “Fornlorn,” two songs that are gratifying but do not represent the high quality of the new album. And the reason is that from the third song on, the quality of the compositions reaches high levels, with “Nightfall” and “Hollow shrine” being the best doom songs that I’ve heard the last years. You MUST listen to them!  The rest of the album does not fail to meet the standards already set. The 4-minute long acoustic “Peccatum” gives the listener time to catch his breath, as the album mostly gives the impression of a ravaging band, with some brutal vocals here and there adding to the electrifying effect. The only thing that really does not do Isole justice, are the clear vocals experimentations. Whereas some fans, even me, might enjoy them, when placed against the brutal vocal lines that really seem to have better confluence with the music (and should be used more in my opinion), they simply prove to be the sore spot. The upcoming Up the Hammers Fest will surely give us the opportunity to check out their performance as a viable and alive band.