AS IT BURNS is a sextet from Groningen, Holland and if you only went by the name, you’d be hard pressed to think this was a true sXe group. But then you would be wrong, which is pretty clear straight from the start. “Welcome… to the mortal dusk!”, growls a deep voice, after which the storm of all times follows (at least that’s what my mom said when I played the album in her presence). Front shouter Arend has obviously been given barbed wire instead of corn flakes for breakfast, but he brings forth the in places somewhat blasphemous lyrics with gusto and a sense of continuity. He is supported by the two axemen Joost and Rocco (cool name!), who understand the importance of slowing down once in a while, to mix softer parts with heavier, so as to bring forth the contrasts better. Add to that some totally freaky keyboards, that give the songs a nice quality of spookiness and bizarre sound landscapes. The guys of AS IT BURNS are supposedly one of the big hopes of the Dutch underground scene, and with Mortal Dusk they should manage to attract more and more attention to themselves. OK, so the songs are not that innovative, and mostly sound like one another, but on the whole nicely executed, and with a strong feeling of the evil lurking in the soul! Seven point five from me. Prettig schijfje jongens!

As It Burns