Review by Michael on August 9, 2021.

This morning I jumped into my 665eder (my money wasn't enough to get a next level 666eder) time machine and turned on the computer. Then I started the new Gnosis album Omens From The Dead Realm and told the computer to bring me to the year when this music was originally from. The years went back and suddenly the machine stopped. It was the year Bill Clinton became POTUS, a new discovered spider was named after Harrison Ford and Germany got their new postal codes. Fortunately, the machine didn't stop in 1994 when the German soccer team performed horribly during the WC in the USA.

But now let's come to reason why I got stranded in 1993. It is very obvious that the trio from Florida have a big weakness for the good old times. The first thought I had when listening to their third output was Mystifier combined with Rotting Christ. Gnosis play a solid mixture of death and black metal very often combined with creepy, gloomy doom parts which remind me of the first two Mystifier albums. Even the sinister vocals remind me of the Brazilians (or if you want, also Necros Christos (R.I.P.)). When they start using keyboards in their songs or increase the tempo, you can hop from South America directly to Greece, just to visit Rotting Christ or Varathron for a cool drink. The break between the Mystifier and the Rotting Christ part is made on 'Apzu, Sea Of Death'. It's a slow, evil track which starts to get very catchy and melodic in the middle section of it. Here the band first starts with a doomy part which is interrupted with a keyboard and some really well-arranged melodies that spread evil Mediterranean atmosphere. 'The Eleventh Step, The Gate Unknown' is a pure worship of old Greek black metal and a really great performance especially when you think about the last 2000 releases that Rotting Christ did. If you liked the old stuff, you will be happy to hear the three guys from Florida.

One could accuse Gnosis because of lack of self-reliance, but hand on heart, which band is reinventing the wheel these days? I am really happy with this old-school stuff and had a nice feeling of returning to my youth and my guess is: I won't be the only one who may think so. Well, if you grew up with these bands and like their old outputs, this is really worth checking it!!!

Well, now I have to return to 2021 (though, this is not the nicest time to be alive, I guess) and some of you may ask, if I can predict the lottery numbers – no, I cannot. This is time traveler law!!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Morlocks

Review by Jack on November 3, 2001.

Suidakra was a band I had never heard of until the other day, when I was recommended them by an affiliate in metal. Hmmm. My first impressions, were obviously what I thought of the band name; and title of album/songs. Suidakra is a funny name and to a non-native speaker of German, and having dealt extensively in Asia for much of my life, the name Suidakra reeks of Japanese feudalism. “The Arcanum” is the title of their latest effort and has nothing to with Japan, and even Asia.

“The Arcanum” is pure symphonic black metal. Not your Darkthrone or Burzum, but more in the vein of older Dimmu Borgir or Old Man’s Child but possessing a bit extra than the two aforementioned outfits. Clean vocals and evil black snarls adorn “The Arcanum” and chop and change without requiring much adaptation. Vocals range from their unique vocal style through most of their songs; to a Hansi type vocal (Blind Guardian) on the ballad: ‘Rise of Taliesin’ and then to an almost carbon copy of Pasi’s vocal style (Amorphis) on ‘The One Piece Puzzle’.

The general atmosphere of Suidakra’s “The Arcanum” is one of medieval-ness and murkiness, with quaint floral guitar riffs and run of the mill drumming. The murky atmosphere unfortunately translates over to the production a little bit, not a huge amount... but it is noticeable enough to drown out some of the clean vocals in places which I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but certainly detracts from the “The Arcanum” listening experience.

Those little niggling points aside “The Arcanum” is a little beauty of an album, not really trying to outdo other bands in the same flavor, but containing enough diversity to impress this reviewer.

Bottom Line: Nothing out of the immediate ordinary, but the folks that bring you “The Arcanum” are extremely diverse musicians that carry a touch of class and make Suidakra an interesting and rewarding purchase.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10