Sermons Of The Infidel, a selection of 12 re-recorded versions of older songs, 2 live tracks, and a Manilla Road cover on the CD version. It?s an expansion upon an EP the band released last year, bearing the same name and several of the same re-recorded songs. If you?re unfamiliar with Countess then this is an excellent starting point; and even if you are, or have the previous EP, this is well worth picking up. For the uninitiated, Countess started life as a primitive black metal band but, as time went on, moved in to more heavy metal sounds with black metal influences. The band have updated their older material to fit in perfectly with their more recent fare, giving the tracks the production and feel that some of them were crying out for in their original forms, making this a very satisfying listen. Zagan?s guitars dominate the sound, his riffs, leads, and solos all showing clear classic heavy metal influences, whilst Orlok?s vocals give the band their black metal edge whilst still fitting in with the more classic metal sound of the rest of the band. How you feel about the (largely clear) lyrics will largely depend upon your tolerance for the standard metal tropes of war, standing alone against the world, and religion. The keyboards are probably the most divisive point of Countess? sound; whilst they do not drown out the band, they are dominant at points, and they may fare too strong for some, but at their best, they really bolster the epic, powerful feel of the songs.