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- Artist: The Black League
- Rating:
- Release Date: September 19, 2000
- Type: Lyrics are included with the album
- Genre: Rock
Review
Ichor marks the long-awaited return of singer Taneli Jarva, who five years prior to the album's 2000 release had quit one of Finland's leading metal bands, Sentenced, seemingly at the peak of the group's popularity. And listening to his new band project, the Black League, it becomes easier to see why he quit in the first place, for stylistically speaking, this band pretty much picks up where mid-era Sentenced stood upon Jarva's departure (Sentenced subsequently descended into questionably commercial territory). Joined by drummer Kimmo Luttinen (his former Impaled Nazarene running mate) and a number of relative newcomers, Jarva generally remains faithful to his former band's powerful, post-Gothenburg death metal style, but with an added sense for atmospheric dynamics that is often reminiscent of progressive-minded cross-border rivals like Dark Tranquillity and Tiamat. Up-tempo rockers (the term may seem like a stretch, but that's really what they are) like "One Colour Black" and "We Die Alone" fare quite well, but it's the Black League's slower, more contemplative numbers that often deliver the most inspiring moments with their beautiful guitar harmonies and mournful acoustic figures. These include album standouts like "Deep Waters," "The Everlasting, Pt. 2," and the excellent "Ozymandias," combining mysterious Eastern melodies with thunderous power chords. As it unfolds, the album keeps building momentum, with the crushing riffs of "Blood of the Gods" and "Bunker King" providing further highlights before the final epic "Night on Earth" -- a welcome return for one of Finland's top metal talents. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music GuideTracks
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Doomwatcher | The Black League | (2:17) | |
| One Colour Black | The Black League | (5:00) | |
| Deep Waters | The Black League | (4:33) | |
| Goin' to Hell | The Black League | (4:08) | |
| Avalon | The Black League | (3:33) | |
| We Die Alone | The Black League | (4:20) | |
| The Everlasting, Pt. 2 | The Black League | (3:54) | |
| Ozymandias | The Black League | (3:26) | |
| Blood of the Gods | The Black League | (4:58) | |
| Bunker King | The Black League | (4:57) | |
| Winter Winds Sing | The Black League | (4:48) | |
| Ecce Homo! | The Black League | (3:45) | |
| Night on Earth | The Black League | (8:49) |
