Returning to haunt the crypts ten years after Buried in Time, Italy?s venerable Mortuary Drape have delivered a fine return to form in the shape of Spiritual Independence. Dating back to 1987 Mortuary Drape have carved an impressive legacy based on a sound which, while identifiably black metal, draws more from the melodic sensibility of traditional heavy metal than any of the usual genre tropes. This in itself has always been one of the major appeals of the band: a sense of dynamism and understanding of the elements contributing to engaging and memorable songwriting. Throughout the album this element shines through again and again. The band demonstrates an admirable ability to make a riff last just exactly as long as it should, neither abruptly appearing then vanishing nor outstaying its welcome and becoming leaden or plodding. In keeping with their previous releases, this is indeed an atmospheric album, albeit without the usual signifiers that go along with "atmospheric metal" in the form of elements taken from outside the metal world. The writing throughout Spiritual Independence is strong enough to have no need to rely on ham-fisted spooky interludes or crudely realised samples to create a genuinely sinister atmosphere. The necromantic trappings of their back-catalogue are there in force, if not to the degree of the notorious album cover of 1995?s "All the Witches Dance". In terms of theme, Mortuary Drape has always been an interesting prospect, focusing on necromancy, tomb-worship, and communion with the dead rather than, on the whole, the standard fire-and-brimstone approach to the occult. Welcome back!