'Cold' is such an obvious title for a Black Metal album; it's weird to think it took until 2006 for it to happen. The second release by corpse-painted Ukrainians KHORS, the record has just been re-released on Svarga Music, away from their usual home of Candlelight Records. Although it's not a legendary milestone in genre history, it's perfectly enjoyable if you like this kind of thing. Anyone who finds Black Metal nauseating though is unlikely to be converted.

On the plus side, 'Cold' is perhaps about as accessible as frostbitten necro-sadistic-goat-slaughter can get. They're not afraid to dial down the intensity and there's a wealth of melody bubbling away under the surface. On 'Whispers' in particular, they really ease off the throttle. It's a melancholic but beautifully laidback instrumental and given it sounds a bit like a Peruvian Pan Flute band, a complete contrast to the likes of 'Ashes,' where screaming, nihilistic violence is the order of the day.

For the most part though, KHORS are rather unpretentious. Sure, they're fond of whispered vocals, atmospheric sequences and extended guitar solos, but this is not an 'In The Nightside Eclipse' imitator. The songs are comparatively short, straight forward and much easier to digest than a lot of the competition. 'Misery' is perhaps the most challenging listen, but even here they don't get brutal enough to scare away lost SLIPKNOT fans.

A perfectly reasonable Black Metal album then, 'Cold' isn't a game changer but it's got enough decent moments to warrant a few spins. There's nothing that'll ever trouble MTV and they're still kvlt as fuck, but this is a good-enough next step for your little brother who won't stop going on about CRADLE OF FILTH all the time.