Gastrike

Gastrike is a rather unremarkable Black Metal album from Sweden's Ereb Altor. My understanding was that Ereb Altor was a Viking band but, other than some vaguely maritime-sounding effects, I don't really hear it. The music is on the symphonic side with plenty of keyboards alongside the raspy vocals and double-kick drums. The songs are generally played well though none really stand out as anything earth-shaking. There are some clear backing vocals that are very repetitive, especially on "Boatman's Call," and they get annoying quickly. This isn't the worst Black Metal album I've heard but it isn't a mandatory purchase, either.