Band:	Byfrost
Album:	Black Earth
Style:	Black metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	June 11, 2010
A review by:	Daniell

01. Horns To The Sky
02. Black Earth
03. Night Of Damnation
04. Lord Victorious
05. Desire
06. Wings Of The Angel Of Death
07. Evil Arise
08. Skull Of God

You know that feeling. You buy some obscure brand of beer you have never tasted before, also because it's quite new to the market. You expect nothing special when you take it out of your fridge. Just another run-of-the-mill brew. The moment you taste and swallow it, you realise that you've been missing out on something great, because it sends cold, ecstatic joy down your throat. It tastes fresh, yet it carries subtle aftertastes of all the great beers you've tasted before. The glass is empty before you know it. You want more.

Byfrost's Black Earth may just be enough to give you a musical equivalent of that beery adventure. Think mid- to late-period Immortal - the spirit of black metal is firmly in place, but the riffs are becoming suspiciously, albeit gloriously, thrashy. This summarizes Byfrost's music quite well. Even the vocals are similar. But don't let this makeshift definition fool you. The band utilizes well-known ingredients, but mixes them in their own way, and does it so powerfully, with so much verve, vim and vigor, with such irresistible and disarming conviction, that it's impossible to resist.

Your foot will start tapping as soon as the first track starts. "Horns To The Sky" is a perfect opener - a memorable riff, groovy rhythms, and fast-paced passages that will send you headbanging, regardless of the length of your hair. What will also immediately catch your attention is the production. It's fantastic. Things that are supposed to sound low are deliciously low - the bass drums seem to massage your diaphragm, and the bass guitar tests your sub-woofer, assuming you have one. The guitars are massive and lead-heavy, and the vocals are set somewhere in between - not too prevalent, but not too distant either. Everything is mixed together with perfect proportions, every instrument is clear and easily audible, yet the overall impression is that the sound is properly abrasive for the kind of music Byfrost plays.

It's no use going over more songs, because they follow a similar formula. Generally mid- to slow-tempo, with occasional speed-ups, and a lot of groove groove groove! I really can't stress it enough - this is one of the most groovy metal albums I've heard in quite some time. Forget about listening to it while doing something else - Black Earth with grab you by the balls and squeeze until you give it your full, undivided attention. It's impossible to sit still, balls squeezed or not - there's so much energy in the album, that you will involuntarily react to the music. My gut feeling is that the reaction will be enthusiastic.

Rarely does a debut album have such an impact. It's easily the debut of the year for me, and, seeing reviews on other sites, not only for me. Long story short, stop reading now and go. Buy. Listen. Headbang. Listen again. Headbang some more. Come MS Awards, you will know who needs to win The Best Debut Album Category.