All the key aspects that made _Sorrow_'s predecessor _Purity_ such a devastatingly brilliant album are intact: the cold riffs, supported by ferocious drumming, and the inhumane growls that would ordinarily be regarded as more appropriate for a death metal band. There are some subtle changes; for example, the bass is a lot more prominent. All the cliché black metal descriptions seem to be eerily accurate as a description for the music -- this is indeed cold, hateful and evil music. The most striking aspect (and indeed the most annoying) is that the songs end as if they experienced a blackout whilst in the midst of recording. While the fade outs and ominous ambient segues used to great effect on _Purity_ created a sense of seamless continuity between the songs, this approach accomplishes the exact opposite and gives the impression of unnecessarily amateurism. If this aspect won't bother you, then add one point onto the score above, because other than this, I can find little to fault this CD -- the latest in a long line of releases to suggest that black metal's central base has moved to the east.