When you listen to the debut from El Soter (although mastermind Blaz Erzetic has released three prior albums under the monicker of the Amateur God Project) you are stepping into this latter world, a world that Erzetic sees us waiting for a saviour that will "show us how attenuate the scum of vaticanism, bushims, intolerance and related products of ignorance". It's a concept rooted in the real world of the artist, how Erzetic looks at the world around him, on both a local and more global scale. It's interesting, challenging, and has a purpose.

The question is as always, is that what the world wants? Does the musical buying populace want to hear about "religous frauds about the end of the world" (Initiation - Appletree of Discord's second track) or the more social commentary of 'Freak Show' as Erzetic examines how the world treats those that are different. From my personal point of view, I hope the answer to that question is a categorical yes.

Musically Appletree of Discord is not going to appeal to all. It draws influences from all kinds of genres, but is most heavily rooted in the electronic, certainly bringing to mind many of the more recent electronic goth related bands like VNV Nation, Mesh, Apotygma Berzerk et al, although where these bands went a more dance electronica route, Appletree of Discord takes us on a darker, more rock and metal influenced path.

The album is a concept within a concept, and needs to be appreciated not by the individual tracks on the album, but as with anything similar as the overall product, and in this case that also includes a visual DVD which accompanies the release (although unfortunately I can't comment on that side of the project having not seen it, with the exception of the video for 'The Hail').

Allow yourself to be challenged, allow yourself to appreciate what is on offer here, and you are going to have found something very special that many who are perhaps not so open minded with their music, or less willingly to challenge themselves are going to miss.

This is a superb release.