Diabolical Masqurade is one of Blackheim's project, besides Bewitched. DM is a only Blackheim himself with some additional guest musicians. DM plays a dark black metal at times with power metal influences. The atmosphere that he creates is majestic, wait 'till you listen to some samples.

Lineup:
Blackheim - Acoustic, Lead, Rhythm Guitars, drums/percussion, keyboards/fx and vocals
Dan Swano - Additional power metal vocals



Ravendusk in my Heart (1995)


The debut album of DM, has a different stylefrom Katatonia, very dark.

1)The Castle of Blackheim
2)Blackheim's Quest to bring back the stolen Autumn
3)Beyond the spiritual Moon
4)The Sphere in Blackheim's Shrine
5)Under the Banner of the Sentinel
6)Blackheim's Forest kept the Season forever
7)The Darkblue Seajourneys of the Sentinel
8)Blackheim's Hunt for Nocturnal Grace
9)Ravendusk in my Heart

Dark melodies haunt the excellent CD, we can listen to dark riffs with keyboards and excellent changes of rythm. Track 1 is a good example of what else could be coming, but it's not the best. Track 2 starts fast with melodic keyboards, then turns to dark riffs, some tracks are around 5 to 7 minutes long. Track 5 is a type of power metal, not very fast but when Swano sings with a power metal voice it just majestic, many people don't like this probably 'cause they never listened to much power metal. Track 8 is the best starts with an acoustic guitar and then dark riffs haunt it for a while, then melodic riffs play for a while, this song is just great. If you like dark melodic black metal that is original then you gotta have this.

Rating: 83
listen to a minute of "Under the Banner of the Sentinel"
listen to a minute of "Blackheim's Hunt for Nocturnal Grace"



The Phantom Lodge (1997)


Somehow this album is not very good.

1)Astray within the Coffinwood Mill
2)The Puzzling Constellation of a Deathrune
3)Ravenclaw
4)The Walk of the Hunchbacked
5)Cloaked by the Moonshine Mist
6)Acroos th eopen Vault and Away
7)Hater
8)The Blazing Demondome of murmurs and secrecy
9)Upon the salty wall of the broody Gargoyle

The second released cannot be compared to the first one, this CD is no good, it has only few good parts like track 3. Aside from those few good parts, the CD lacks musicianship. I would say that track 3 is the best it mixes folkoric with black metal. There is not much left to say about this album, looks like new black metal sucks, and that good BM is dead.

Rating: 50
listen to a minute of "Ravenclaw"

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