(Spinefarm Records)
A lot of people were preety depreseed when Taneli Jarva's departed from Finland's SENTENCED in 1995. In 2000 Jarva made a welcome return with his new band THE BLACK LEAGUE, that continued where SENTENCED left off with Amok. A dark and depressive mix of Death n Roll with hints of blues and with Jarvas' vocals being far more melodic and accesible than in the past.Now THE BLACK LEAGUE return with their second full-length, Utopia A.D. There's a definite proggresion as far as the sound is compared in contrast to Ichor, their debut, things being more rocky and less deadly. All the songs have a wicked feeling and a devilish groove, very reiniscent of the other Finns that tread that path the BABYLON WHORES.The rhythm section creates a very nice rythmic backgroun upon which Jarva's paints weird soundscapes with his harsh yet melodius voice. A really refreshing album in the genre of modern dark metal.
