Although it was recorded in a "home studio" with all the limitations that implies, which would account for the murky sound present, I suspect that possible MP3 sourcing contributes to the low quality, at least on my copy. Cold Empire are still capable of invoking the requisite atmosphere, but it does feel unnecessarily diluted and not as potent as it could have been.

The Italian four-piece are clearly familiar with the work of their northerly comrades, drawing upon seminal works of Immortal and Darkthrone. _...And the Cold Arrived_ also contains echoes of more recent additions, such as _Geliebte des Regens_ era Nargaroth. Their furious riffs and song constructions leave little room for subtlety, but provided with a better environment in which to record their southern iciness, I don't feel there is any reason why they shouldn't be signed to one of the numerous black metal labels scattered around the world.