There are only so many adjectives one can add to describe Dark Fortress’ darkly progressive music, it is a fact, however, that Venereal Dawn is quite a bit different than the Dissection-isms of the Germans’ earliest work. Venereal Dawn is a hi- ghly dynamic, intense and atmospheric work that gets better with each spin. Although the band’s roots are obvious, there aren’t many elements traditionally associated with black metal on Venereal Dawn. There is hardly any tremolo picking, li- mited blastbeats and even the vocals are quite measured by the genre’s standards. The gothic qualities are not quite as pro- nounced as on its predecessor ‘Ylem’, but the power of the album is in its atmosphere and subdued tempos.
Venereal Dawn further explores what is possible within the boundaries of Dark Fortress’ core sound without alienating their existing fan base. As stated in the beginning of this review, it is quite diffi-cult to categorize the music on Venereal Dawn, but that is exactly what makes the album so good.