Descendants of the legendary Babylon Whores and makers of unashamedly gothic and grim hard rock anthems, Sleep Of Monsters have been an elusive bunch of late. Their aptly named third album arrives seven years after the widely praised II: Poison Garden and takes the Finns in all manner of new directions. Admittedly, their bedrock remains a mid-paced, glowering stomp, with one foot on the goth dancefloor and the other in an open grave. Black Blacker Than Black is a monster of an anthem, delivered deliciously deadpan by frontman Ike Vil, but thereafter this is measurably more diverse and imaginative than either of its predecessors. There is a ghoulish new wave vibe to songs like the gloomily melodramatic Alexandria and synth-laced voodoo ballad The Singer, while Mother Of Phantoms is a luscious slice of pure, malevolent theatre. Brilliant, as usual. ■■■■■■■■□□