Review by Taakefrost.de 
Shadows Ground - In Eternal Coldness Of The Night CD (Black Hate Productions)
Dass man mitunter auch aus dem europäischen Osten traditionellen Klang erwarten kann, welcher durchaus akzeptanzberechtigt ist, dürfte mittlerweile zumindest in kleinen Kreisen bekannt sein. Dass es im slawischen Kulturkessel jedoch gleichermaßen schwierig ist, auf diesen Ebenen eigenständig zu agieren – das sollte jedem klar sein.
Shadows Ground aus der Ukraine strengen trotz allem den Versuch an und bescheren dem pechschwarzen Untergrund ein weiteres Album, das die unerreichbare Aura von „Transilvanian Hunger“ zu umschwelgen sucht. Im Gegensatz zu den mittlerweile zahllosen Replikat-Schmieden gehört „In Eternal Coldness Of The Night“ indes zweifelsohne zu jenen Nachempfindungen, die aufgrund ihrer Authentizität und Primitivität dem damaligen Geist zumindest ersichtlich nahe kommen. Es sei dahin gestellt, ob man die Adaption solcher Stilistik noch unter das Banner der Kunst rücken kann; wichtig ist, dass sich das Dargebotene nicht gänzlich der Doktrin des Faksimilierens unterwirft.
Wo das geübte Hörerohr also die Spreu vom Weizen trennt, fügt sich das ukrainische Duo zum wertbehafteten Teil der Ernte, zeigt man sich im musikalischen Sinne doch äußerst bemüht, im engen Rahmen der norwegischen Meister Hörenswertes reifen zu lassen: Gegossen in einen dünnen, von pochender Low-Fi-Rhythmik beherrschten Klang, ziehen die acht Kompositionen so manche schmackhafte Register und imponieren dem Puristen mit tief grimmigen Vocals sowie kälteumschlungenen und zuweilen hypnotisch gestreckten Riffs, die ohne Frage die Nähe suchen – und finden - zur alten Essenz des Ursprungs.
Allerdings zeigt dieses scheinbar einwandfreie Gerüst sich eines hässlichen Fehlers verdächtig. Denn keineswegs im Sinne des Alten operierend, wankt das beim ersten Eindruck noch so wunderbar roh und knochig auftretende Schlagwerk nach und nach in ein ungünstiges Licht und offenbart, kontrastierend zur Aussage der Band, einen in diesem Kontext äußerst unangenehmen, weil elektronischen Charakter, und enthebt die nostalgische Stimmung somit partiell ihrer Wirkung.
Letztlich aber bleibt es bei diesem einen, wenn nicht gerade unbedeutenden Kritikpunkt. Denn an Form und Farbe von „In Eternal Coldness Of The Night“ gibt es wenig auszusetzen; man klingt glaubhaft, beseelt und in erkennbare Reife gehüllt. Als Liebhaber der Oldschool-Schiene wird man hier also reichlich bedient.
(7.5/10) in Worte gefasst von Frostkrieg
Review by Taakefrost.de 
Shadows Ground - In Eternal Coldness Of The Night CD (Black Hate Productions)
That one sometimes can also expect traditional Black Metal from Eastern Europe, which is definitely qualified to be accepted, meanwhile should be known, at least in small circles. Though, that it is equally difficult in the Slavic tank of culture to operate on these levels self-containedly – that should be clear to everyone.
In spite of all, Shadows Ground from the Ukraine risk the attempt and bestow the pitch-black underground another album, which tries to ensnarl the unreachable aura of “Transilvanian Hunger”. However, in contrast to the meanwhile countless replica-forges “In Eternal Coldness Of The Night” doubtlessly belongs to yon afterperceptions, which due to their authenticity and primitiveness at least get apparently close to the then-spirit. It doesn’t matter, if one considers the adoption of such stylistics to be unworthy to appear under the banner of art or not; important is that the material does not entirely fall for the doctrine of the recreation of the past true to its originals.
So, where the listener’s ear separates the wheat from the chaff, the Ukrainian duo joins the valuable part of the crop and, in musical sense, proves to be absolutely at pains to let maturate something worth-listening in the tight frame of the Norwegian maters: Cast in a thin sound dominated by pulsing low-fi-rhythm, the eight compositions pull out some really tasty stops and impress the purists with deeply grim vocals as well as coldness-enlaced and sometimes hypnotically stretched riffs, which, without question, seek the company of the old essence of the roots – and find it.
Otherwise, this seemingly faultless framework gets into the suspicion of being not that innocent, since in no way operating in the sense of the old, the striking mechanism still presenting itself so delightfully raw and bony at first impression by and by falters into a disadvantageous light and reveals, contrary to the information given by the band, an in this context extremely uncomfortable, i.e. electronic character, and thus partially dethrones the nostalgic mood and its effect.
Eventually, however, it remains at this single, even though not meaningless point of critique, for shape and colour of “In Eternal Coldness Of The Night” offer few to be dealt with in complaining manner; one sounds authentic, soulful and veiled in obvious maturity. So, as fancier of the oldschool-line one will be served amply here.
(7.5/10) translated by Frostkrieg
Review by Taakefrost.de
Shadows Ground - In Eternal Coldness Of The Night CD (Black Hate Productions)
Long-awaited debut full-length of Shadows Ground was finally released on Black Hate Productions in the beginning of 2009. Label has announced this album as "Black Metal that could have been recorded by Darkthrone in 1993". Indeed, if to describe it in few words, then it's nothing else than "Transylvanian Hunger" worship, but with larger portion of melancholic melodiousness in riffs (in this sense the noteworthy tracks are "In Unholy Fog of Death", "In Eternal Coldness of the Night", "Coldness And Pain", though there are also more "warlike" songs here, as, for example, "Our Truth").
These melancholic riffs, accompanied by fast rhythm section, and in combination with lyrics, create some special atmosphere of dark desperate Fanaticism. All the tracks musically were kept in the manner of "Transylvanian Hunger": 2-3 riffs repeating in duration of a song, and at times it seems that here it has to be "So pure... so cold" in the lyrics, or whatever else from that classical piece; though vocals for the most part are much low, closer to growling, only at times turning to screams. Drums, as far as I've understood, were programmed, though the only thing that points at it is their extreme monotonousness. The sound on this album isn't exactly "norse", maybe closer to Finnish or Swedish (of mid 90's) school, and for me personally this makes it more attractive, because I'm bored of Darkthrone clones with Norwegian sounding.
So, in general, here we have pure Black Metal without any mixture, held in the best traditions of the middle of 1990's.
(83/10) Written by Fulgurius
Tracklist: 1. In Unholy Fog of Death Total playing time 43:44 |
