I was highly apprehensive when I picked up this, the debut offering from the Bombay-based black metal band, Fate (Roshan-Vox, bass; Nitin-Guitars; Hitesh-Drums). Black Metal has become more "happening" now and the band also had history of death metal, so I was pretty worried about the final outcome. Thankfully I was not disappointed. First of all, the CD packaging itself looks pro. The dull light, as if flickering on the walls of a cave, has an aura of grimness around it. The best part of the packaging was the black and white photos of the band on the backside below the dark and gloomy artwork and song-list. It really brings in an old-school feel. The production is also pretty good. Intune has done a good job on this. The album contains 5 songs and is approximately 28 minutes long. The music is dark and has no frills attached. No chick vox, no keyboards, no atmospheric embellishments, just brutal, dark, in-your face. The first song "Deathless" is about attitude and ability to persist, says the sleeve. The song is fast and begins on a great screaming note. There are also deep growls (a bit deathmetal-ish) but then the wailing takes over. There is good double-bass going on as well. The second song "Golden Leaf" has a Slayer-influenced intro. It is mid-paced and impressive. The third song, "Lead us to darkness" is arguably the darkest song in the album. The tempo is very slow but the vocals are so intense you can almost feel the pain in the wailing. Even in the midst of the slow pace and the clean-tone plucking, drumming keeps up the aggression. The fourth song, "Nittilai" is in stark contrast to the previous song, in that it is too "happy" and not the dark/ grim kind. In fact, it could very well be a song of a thrash metal band. Different, definitely not black. Unfortunately, towards the end, things become too sloppy. The last song "Whispering Death" is very slow, and is "doom" than black. The most impressive part of the band was the vocalist. He’s really done that "black-metal"ish high-pitch wailing and done it darn well too. The drummer is also rock-solid and brings in his double-bass slamming quite a few times. (Being a fan of the old-school style, I’d have preferred to have a more of blast beats, though). The problem with the guitaring (and I’m not talking about skill or finesse here) was that the "true" black feel was not communicated, in all probability, due to the lack proper equipment. However, inspite of all the pitfalls, the music is definitely dark and foreboding. Overall, the album is a decent effort. What the band needs to do is bring in more "blackness", avoid the "doom" path and focus on what they do better and what sounds better – the fast, wild, violent songs. Those interested in getting the album can contact eternalserenity@rediffmail.com, intune@rediffmail.com or spellbound_bythedevil@rediffmail.com.