I don't give good ratings out easily, I'm a very hard-to-please metalhead here, but this release is nearly flawless. 7 songs in 45 minutes, so you can expect some pretty lengthy tunes here, which is a definitely plus.
The guitar work is impecable, and the drumming is great. What I really like is the synth parts on the first track, you can tell the keyboardist has definite talent and it will no doubt hone the bands sound to a fine point of excellency.
The vocals do get on my nerves a bit, as they come out a little too loud in the mix, which is why this doesn't get a better score from me. I also feel that the bass drum triggers could've been a little less obvious, it sounds like metal clicking, but that's not a bad thing completely.
This is a band that has definite personality, and are very good musicians, for some reason, it just feels to me like they held back a bit on this release. Maybe their later releases are more all-out, but this just sounds like it has a lot held back.
The production is great and a bit trebbly, but that's NEVER a bad thing. I bought this for pretty cheap, and I will definitely buy their other releases. I recommend this to ANY black metal fan. USBM isn't necessarily bad BM.