Review by Emma on April 7, 2009.

Of the hordes of bands that BlackMetal.com has put out, Valdur is not the worst I’ve heard. But they certainly don’t make the mark in this split with neighboring California band Lightning Swords Of Death.

Valdur sound can be described as basic recorded-in-your-basement, Black Metal. No further description needed. The musicianship is good. I give props to their drummer Lord Sxuperion, because 70% of the split is blast beats. Valdur has its moments with some riffs and slight vocal variation in ‘Blodhevn/Vendetta’ But someone needs to remind them that as wonderful as the sound of blast beats are, they need to be balanced with some variation and bridges to be fully appreciated. I want to move the track time with my cursor and be able to tell the difference between 0:34 and 5:27. I would make an exception if there were some truly awesome riffs that soared, but this isn’t the case here. The one song that saved me from completely writing off Valdur was ‘Spears Torrent’ for its nice acoustic bit.

If you are one to like a general ‘hum’ that requires no listening commitment on low volume, add Valdur to your shopping list.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:5
Atmosphere:5
Production:4
Originality:2
Overall:4.5

Rating: 4.1 out of 10

Review by Anna on September 26, 2010.

This is the second EP from Ghost Voyage, a yet unsigned band, and not a bad one at that. They would be snugly filed under the “Death/Doom” category. They are rather on the symphonic side with synthetic-sounding keyboards ushering in its grandeur throughout. Excellent vocals, sound, competent musicians, good guitar riffs laced through each song without being over-the-top. The music is highly structured, too much so for my taste, as is the grandiosity, but this would suit many people well. There are definitely some powerful and moving parts in these songs, despite its “day-and-night” structuring.

I hate doing this but to give you an idea soundwise there are definite influences from compatriots Swallow The Sun and even Opeth. Certain parts conjure feelings of Cradle Of Filth’s “Dusk” for me. Rejoice if you like this kind of music because here is another band for you to check out. Your girlfriend might like it too….

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.7
Atmosphere: 8.5
Production: 10
Originality: 6.5
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by TheOneNeverSeen on October 7, 2023.

The Greek DSBM quartet has returned after the surprising, yet well-executed partly gothic rock Innocence​.​Love​.​Sadness to deliver another (this time purely DSBM) piece of suffering with a lovely title Self Inflicted Razor Cutting. While not being a new DSBM classic like Corrosion of Hearts or This Mournful Dawn, it is another solid Sorry… album and one of the most satisfying releases in the genre this year.

The album seems to be even more Lifelover-inspired (particularly in terms of the vocal style Void uses) than the band's previous efforts, despite staying raw. At the same time, it does not replicate the sound of any previous release, being cleaner than Failure Years of Neglect Apathy, calmer than Bereavement of Existence and sharper than Saudade. Void sounds desperate and hopeless as always (especially on 'Window to Another Pointless Sunset' when the might and the tone of his voice highly resemble that of Graf von Baphomet), the riffs are consistently sorrowful and the flow of the songs consistently immersive. To wrap up, listening to this album, you are guaranteed to feel lower than Greece's GDP.

As for the actual songs, the album doesn’t quite reach the level of the masterpiece All That Died Was My Innocence and the emotionality of 'I Withdrew Myself into Isolation' or 'Accepting Loneliness', but does offer many remarkable melodies such as the immensely melancholic and perfect for gloomy autumn mornings 'Lying in a Pool of Blood', the Suizid-like short… banger? 'Complete Isolation' with vocals causing me acute nostalgia for Carlsson and Graf von Baphomet or (speaking of Graf von Baphomet) the Psychonaut 4-like 'Days of Uselessness' and 'Broken Promises' with the former featuring highly atmospheric bass at the beginning, giving it even more of a Lifelover-like shade and the latter having a curious structure combining elements with melancholic and furious mood and featuring a powerful sample similar to the 'I Withdrew Myself into Isolation' one. There are two merely fine songs such as the title track or the cover of a mediocre Hanging Garden song, but the better songs significantly outweigh the weaker ones and thus I won’t be very critical of the latter.

The instruments combine well to form an emotional flow of sadness, most notable example being the brilliant melody of 'A Tortured Sight and the Final Breath' that could’ve been easily been a part of Pulver or Sjukdom. The replacement of the bassist has resulted in a pleasant surprise – the bass melodies of 'Days of Uselessness' and 'Path of Nothingness' being very remarkable. Since bass rarely plays an important part in "rawer" DSBM and I can’t recall any particularly memorable bass melodies in the band's other efforts, this is definitely a great change, making the album stand out in Sorry…'s discography even more.

In conclusion, Self Inflicted Razor Cutting is a very good DSBM release that any despair and hopelessness enjoyer should definitely check out. Sorry… have already become a notable act in the genre thanks to All That Died Was My Innocence and this album consolidates my hope they will remain so.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10