Cruciform - Atavism (1993)

   Cruciform was one of the more genuine bands of the early '90s metal scene, and their one and only album, "Atavism", not only belongs to the first reasonable extreme albums of Australia, but also counts as a death/doom pioneer record.
   Even though they are officially sorted to death metal bands, their music had more diverese features and included interesting ideas. By these they stepped through the borders of the genre into a that time unusual direction. In general slow speed is dominant, the intense parts and mid speed are occasional. This and the extended song lenght are typically death/doom characteristics. A returning melodic atmoshpere turning the main view more melancholic, and most of the themes are ideal as doom metal references. The lyrical concept is the same death and horror oriented like at any other bands in this style, but by this musical background, and because of the melancholic atmosphere, "Atavism" is not an aggressive album, more like a gloomy, depressive one. And of course it's an important classic of the Australian metal scene.