The Dark Age is the debut album from Shūnyatā, a band that plays melodic black metal with lyrics inspired by the tenets of Buddhism. Theirs is a very melodic black metal, similar to the Greek style, with a mix of harsh vocals, sawing guitars, and chaotic speed as well as melodic riffing and a number of acoustic passages and instrumentals. Tracks like "The Cycle" and "The Human Predicament" should please fans of "typical" black metal, if it doesn't have to be uber raw, while those into folky black metal will likely enjoy the acoustic guitars on "Loss" and "Sweetness and Sorrow," which are spare but hauntingly melodic. Personally, I enjoyed the title track with its huge riffs and marching snare drum at the beginning before launching into the main part of the song. This gives it an epic vibe which sucked me in. According to the band's Facebook page, their next album is nearly ready and a third is completely written but not recorded, so if melodic black metal with a few folk and epic elements sounds appealing, Shūnyatā is a band whose wagon you'll want to hop on to.