I don’t know what it is but lately I seem to have lost interest in black metal. Some of it has to do with the fact that I haven’t come upon any interesting new black metal albums but also that what once seemed like the most extreme form of metal today more resembles boring manual labour than an exciting opportunity. So when a French black metal album about Tolkien came my way I took no special notice. I wish I could say that I was wrong in assuming that this could be anything but good but sadly no. “First Age; Entering Legends” is no different from all the other dark, pagan, black metal albums I’ve come across lately. If only one band could stop looking at others and instead look inside themselves for some inner strength.