"The Teachings + Death Reborn" is a collection of BLIGHT's two acclaimed EPs. The band goes for a straight-up black metal sound that aims to make the most of the musical resources available within the genre of black metal.

Overall, I found the tracks from "The Teachings" (tracks 1-5) to be stronger pieces. The songwriting stayed true to the old-school aesthetic without becoming stale, and the production suited the musical style, for the most part. [There were a few places here and there where the vocals could have been mixed lower down.] "For the Pact to Be Writ" delivers on the promise such a great title offers, with ominous opening riffs and an initial doom metal feel. The vocals evoke some slithering, creepy creature. The rest of the vocals are delivered powerfully, and adds a sense of fear to the track. Things switch to a slower pace, with simmering bass riffs further increasing the forbidding atmosphere.

"Sovereign [Suffering] Gestalt" shakes things up with a fast intro and gritty vocals. An unexpected slow break adds variety, and the melancholy riffs evoke a feeling of immense suffering. The drum fills add interest, and the staccato riffs add a sense of inevitability. The contrast between the blast beats and the slower, gloomy riffs is effective. The bleak atmosphere is firmly entrenched with bubbling guitar riffs and evocative vocals. "VoidLight" opens on strong note with no-nonsense vocals and brooding guitar riffs which give an impression of some inescapable fate. The mid-tempo pace invites headbanging. The short spoken word part is a pleasant surprise, and riffs fall like an entity disappearing into the void. Just when the band has lulled the listener into an expectation of mellowness, an explosion of screams and drums happens.

There are some great old-school black metal moments on this compilation, even if the scratchy production let the last two tracks down a bit (the line between old-school murkiness and unpleasantness in production is admittedly very thin). BLIGHT does well to add some flair to their sound while at the same time keeping things simple musically.