It's rare to hear a band that captures an era as well as Hands of Orlac does on their second album, entitled Figli del Crepuscolo. Having moved from Rome, this Sweden-based quintet has a horror-influenced sound that sounds very much like a metal soundtrack to the classic European Gothic films of the 1960s. Frontwoman/flautist The Sorceress has a great voice for this style; her voice is warm and inviting, seductive even, but also dark. Like Barbara Steele in the classic Bava film Black Sunday, her vocals on Figli del Crepuscolo play with the duality of beauty and horror. This is not accidental, as Hands of Orlac have used Steele as an inspiration before; the Steele film Castle of Blood was a lyrical topic on Hands of Orlac's debut album. The flute is incorporated tastefully and complements the music, rather than being a gimmicky distraction. While labeled a doom band, that description does not tell the whole story of Hands of Orlac. For one thing, the band rarely slows the tempo to a doom lurch. Much of the album has a rather upbeat, bouncy feel, particularly the opener "Last Fatal Drop," thanks to the bass work of The Templar. "A Coin in the Heart" and the Iron Maiden-esque harmonizing to end "Ghost Story" further illustrate this upbeat, groovy approach. In fact, Figli del Crepuscolo has excellent instrumental work all around; the rhythm section is tight, the riffs are often memorable and never dull, and the lead work of The Puritan and Alex Moraitis (no stage name apparently) is impressive. The solos are some of the album's best moments actually.