by Steve Huey

Tales from the North is actually Italian metal band White Skull's third full-length album, but it's only the first to be released in the U.S. It's somewhere in between the major underground trends of late-'90s metal -- black metal, "symphonic" metal (in its epic melodies, Gothic overtones, and often female vocals), and Judas Priest-influenced British-style metal. There are times when it can't help but feel that the band is trying to do too much, but they've also obviously settled into their sound, which makes Tales from the North a good introduction for American audiences.