For any music form or style to survive, it must evolve and progress: if it stagnates, it dies. With a few honourable exceptions, this has been a problem with the death metal scene, and particularly that in Scandinavia, for several years: it has been seen to stagnate, with its leading lights content to rest on the laurels of the success that has elevated them to the positions they enjoy today, and the young pretenders coming up below them thinking it sufficient just to survive as pale imitations of those whom they seek to emulate.

However, as if defrosted from one of those cold winters for which that part of the world is well renowned, the scene has awoken like a sleeping giant and re-invented itself, with the likes of Okular well placed to move the art form onto its next level.

This is a highly impressive debut from this Norwegian trio (vocalist Andreas Aubert, guitarist Marius S. Pedersen and drummer Bjørn Tore Erlandsen, with Kai Åsvik of Grindcrusher fulfilling bass duties in the studio), with ten tracks of powerful, progressive death metal that lie somewhere between the technicality of Opeth, the high art of Dimmu Borgir and the sheer brutality of Bloodbath, with elements of Mayhem, Darkthrone and Emperor thrown in for good measure.

Especial mention must be made of Pedersen's guitar work, which is exceptional throughout, with layers of light and dark, nice acoustic touches and moments of sheer mind-numbing speed, all augmented by a powerhouse performance from Erlandsen and Aubert's brutal vocals. A prime example of this is the brilliant 'State Of Immediacy', which is just awesome in its restrained power.

This is one probiotic you don't need your doctor to prescribe... cos we just have!

www.myspace.com/okularmetal