’Cold’ is the third full length album by Austrian black metallers HELLSAW and an album that I really have mixed feelings about. Words such as ‘masterpiece’, ‘hateful yet catchy’ is all over the press info that I received with the CD but I can’t agree with that.

Well... to be brutal honest, ‘Cold’ is sadly not the best black metal release of all time in my humble opinion. Not that I totally dislike it but I don’t feel like playing it over and over again. There are only 2 tracks that have rocked my world, namely the fantastic “Cold Aeon” and the equally as good “I Saw Hell” with its almost punk rock guitar runs.

The rest of the songs are nothing more than standard midtempo/uptempo old school black metal that goes into one ear and out the other. Okay let’s be fair, there are a few great riffs here and there but ‘Cold’ is all in all quite mundane. I miss something to put it simple and the annoying voice-overs don’t help the band either.

2 great tracks and a nice cover artwork is what you get. Nothing more.