Ildjarn / Hate Forest "Those Once Mighty Fallen" Split CD

I've been familiar with Hate Forest and the act that emerged from it, Drudkh, for some time. I've listened to fewer songs by Ildjarn, but they always seemed like a pleasant mix of noise and black metal to me. So when I realized that there was a split between the two ostensibly discontinued acts, I knew that I had to check it out.
I was not disappointed. Ildjarn's half of the album is a noisy return to early Norwegian black metal. The hard rock roots are easy to hear in these aggressive opening songs, but I was a bit disappointed by the lack of variety and memorability. I can honestly say that each song segued nicely into the next, but there was nothing that really stood out as excellent.
Hate Forest's half was the epitome of the rapid-fire ambient/atmospheric feel that it and Drudkh have made famous. Production was raw, but not as (intentionally?) noisy and crude as Ildjarn, and I rather enjoyed the growled vocals. It was a nice departure from the standard shrieks that one hears in black metal, and my main complaint (as a big fan of Drudkh and Hate Forest both) is that the drumming was just a little too loud, and a little too crisp. Subduing percussion and making it a tiny bit rawer would have gone far in this case, at least that's my opinion.
Overall, I was rather pleased with this album and will listen to it many more times in the future. I preferred Hate Forest a lot more, but that's just due to my tastes. Ildjarn is excellent in its own right.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...