Review by Adam M on October 28, 2010.

This band has an icy feel that is somewhat distinctive in Black Metal. However, there is one outfit that performs this style to near perfection in a very similar manner and that is Immortal. The bands share a musical style very closely and thankfully Byfrost does a pretty good job at portraying the frostbitten Black Metal style.

So the adjective cold is a solid way to describe the material to be found on this disc. It carries forth a chilling feeling from the big riffs themselves. The band is again similar to Immortal in the huge chops they bring that actually share as much in common with the Thrash genre as the Black Metal one. Track after track the guitar licks make everything seem grand and larger than life. The last song 'Skull Of God' ends things off without vocals and fading away via some more massive riffs. It offers the appropriately cold ending to a disc that shows this icy Black Metal characteristic all the way through. It may not be the most original take on the genre you’ll find, but it is very effective.

For the band to grow in positive directions in the future, they need to incorporate compelling new ideas of their own and take a slightly more innovative direction. "Black Earth" is sufficient in delivering and Immortal style platter of Black Metal, but slightly lacks its own identity. The guitar work is certainly one of the strongest aspects to be found with this album. However, it is very derivative, which prevents it from being as authentic sounding as it could be. It is nonetheless a strong work that should be checked out by both Black Metal and Thrash fans.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 8.5
Production: 8
Originality: 4
Overall: 8

Rating: 7.4 out of 10