Somnus - To Return the Crimson Skies (1997)

This is a decent demo of black/gothic metal, similar to Cradle of Filth's TPoEMF. However, it isn't as well done in several respects. First, the songs are a little simplistic and repetitive, and I haven't heard any riffs that really impress me. The production is also a little raw, especially the guitar tone. And the playing is sloppy at times, but this can be forgiven somewhat as this is a demo. That said, I did enjoy this. I'm generally a fan of the style, as long as it avoids being overly theatrical and schlocky, as this does (and CoF haven't done since Vempire). Also, the vocals are well done (especially the female vocals) and their style isn't a complete clone of CoF. In addition, the latter songs (especially the title track) are much better than the earlier tracks. I'm not sure that I'll ever listen to it again though.