Sinful Eternity - "haze" is the opening track. this is a beautifully played, uncomplicated instrumental allowing you to concentrate on the emotion of the song rather than having to untangle it from too many elements. some of the piano sounds could have had a richer tone perhaps but this song, one of my favorites of the album, has some interesting octave transitions.
SE - "sorvada¦us" is the shortest track of the release. it starts off slow tempo almost a doom feel with a distorted guitars before classic black metal chord changes and visceral vocals; the kick drum is a little drowned out however.
SE - "pathetic christianity" is mid almost fast tempo with repetitive but good chord progressions; these aren't thunderous riffs but continue to show that SE has the ability to play quite well. the drumming is a little 'basic' in places but this could be a crowd favorite at gigs - it has something memorable about it! the vocal on this track is very strong.
SE - "quiet thunder" is the last of the four Sinful Eternity songs. there is a nice tonality to the guitar as it dances around the chords. the vocal is strong here too though not all the way to 'grrr' reminding me of Necromantia.
and so on to the three Solus tracks starting with "hamvak". this is a mid tempo song but the drum tone is a but hollow. there are some good chord changes here - another band who can actually play. Solus have one of the better death/black metal vocalists; its not all the way to 'grrr' but there is some power behind it...again i am reminded of early Necromantia.
S - "beyond the gates of cold dimensions" is the longest of the Solus songs, with an interesting arrangement - there's something about the way it shifts from slow to mid tempo almost as though it is off tempo. toward the middle there is some subtle synth work enabling the guitar fro a moment to almost become lead guitar; it also has a nice tone to it. the vocal is again really strong.
S - "knight of the living dead (Abyssic Hate cover)" closes the split. (i don't know the original song). musically this is played well and expressively showing that Solus have some musical talent. the chord progressions are good but the few drum rolls are thunderous !
overall this is a good release. the songs are all well played and have been arranged well, and while the guitar work isn't exactly thunderous riffs the chord progressions are well executed. the two bands compliment each other. this is black metal with a slight doom edge; a little rough around the edges but that's the whole point. highly recommended.