When metal fans think of Poland, they'll almost certainly go to Behemoth, perhaps Vader or Decapitated. The country has a strong catalogue of death and black metal acts, as well as some decent thrash bands like Acid Drinkers. Doom and stoner metal doesn't seem to shine through when it comes to the Eastern European nation, however. So with their third album, "Iterations," does Poznan's Tortuga do much to change that? Sadly, not.

"Iterations" has some interesting elements inside of it. The strongest parts of the record are when the harmonies take on a more ethereal quality, allowing the listener to imagine the pictures that are being painted by the music. Opening track "Init," is a prime example of this, beginning with a bittersweet intro that's somehow as sinister as it is beautiful. Elsewhere, the self-explanatory "Interlude" makes for a pleasant listen, though that may not be exactly the description a potential fan is hoping for when it comes to doom metal.

Almost immediately, the listener will notice a big problem with the album, which is to say, it sounds awful. It's a massive surprise that this effort is being released by Napalm Records when it sounds more like a demo than a major release. Perhaps the idea was to create a more retro sound, but it really doesn't come across this way. The songs themselves feel a little stilted, struggling to sound natural at times, while at other points, the tracks seem to get lost and keep soldiering on when they really don't need to. "Laspes," for example, has no business whatsoever being over nine minutes long, barely evolving despite a solid intro.

Though there are some glimpses into what could be, the record as a whole is really quite dull. There isn't one song that could honestly be called "good," and when the highlight is a two-and-a-half-minute interlude, there's clearly a problem. "Epitaph" contains a nice melody and barely any vocals, preferring instead to let the music do the talking, but still feels more like a file being sent over to other bandmates rather than something that should be on a finished album.

So, with all that said, what's the verdict? It's not unlistenable. There's promise in Tortuga, they've just misfired with "Iterations." It's bland, forgettable, and just not very interesting. If you're absolutely desperate for more stoner/doom metal, it might be worth a listen, but there have been several excellent releases in the field this year so there are better ways to spend your time if that's what you're after. With much better production, streamlined ideas, and more focus, Tortuga could do well, but they'll need to do a lot better than this.