How do you even begin to describe the sound of THE MEADS OF ASPHODEL? If you are familiar with them, you will know that their sound is unlike any other, indescribable. If you haven't heard of them before, well, you're in for a surprise. You either like them or loathe them. Their humor is blackest black and very British – almost Monty Python-like. UK based, they've been going for 17 years and Sonderkommando is their fifth album, in between various demos, splits and EP's. Sonderkommando was spawned after lead man Metatron's visit to Auschwitz and the whole album is about WW2 and concentration camps. Some narrations on the album were recorded on site at Auschwitz. The list of guest artists that are on this album is quite long, Mirai from Sigh, Mories from Gnaw Their Tongues, Rob Miller from Amebix are amongst them. The music jumbles from Black Metal to bluesy parts, operatic singing to a short dance track (Children Of The Sunwheel Banner, Part 1), spoken words, film quotes – it's all here and there, with hardly any consistency there. There are some good songs on it, Wishing Well Of Bones, The Mussulmans Wander… - but generally the whole album is all over the place, at times quite difficult to listen without the mind starting to wander. You can't deny they are good musicians, the sound is decent and the production good, but too many cooks spoil the food, so to speak.