First, there was Orsök, and now there’s Völd. The Icelandic black metal band Nyrst ended the year 2023 in style, supported by the record label Dark Essence Records. The Icelandic black metal scene is well-known, and I probably don’t need to list the most famous bands for you, nor do I need to clarify that bands hailing from this volcanic European island have their characteristic sound and vibe, and this holds for Nyrst as well. The black metal on their first album made me think of a furious, lava-spewing volcano, and look at what the album cover has turned out to be. Is that a coincidence, or can we no longer call it that?
With what force does lava erupt from the mouth of a volcano? You can experience a taste of that in this latest black metal gem. The strength lies in the deep and varied vocals, the narrative vocals where a lead part often delicately crusts an extra layer of ice and where razor-sharp, icy drumming freezes your senses.
So, you can say that Völd opens in a very powerful way. At its core or icy foundations, this Nyrst is a typically sounding Icelandic black metal collective. Yet, you can still sense some European mainland elements, especially from the Scandinavian countries. At times, Mr. Snæbjörn’s vocal work reminds me a bit of that of Mr. Kvarforth or Mr. Dolk. A chilling wind that blows hand in hand with a sharp picking is announcing a very dragging, at least in its first measures, the second track titled Sundra Skal Sálu. Once again, the remarkably good clean singing stands out, truly a strength of this Icelandic formation.
Between the opening track and Fjallið Andar, you get to hear very strong, varied, and malicious black metal tracks. Fjallið Andar, on the other hand, is a kind of dark instrumental to let you pause for a moment. Of course, that doesn’t really happen because we’ve all been on the dark path for years. No one will be surprised when I write that the opening riffs and themes on Eilíft Eldhaf grab you completely with frozen notes. However, the title translates to an eternal sea of fire. In other words, the track will attempt to thaw you out, perhaps through very deep throat sounds and sensitive string play.
Völd is a very strong, you could even say incredibly strong, follow-up to Orsök. Lava-spewing, and thus scorching hot, Icelandic black metal at its best from the gentlemen of Nyrst. That’s all I can write about it.
Score:
85/100
Label:
Dark Essence Records, 2023
Tracklisting:
- Völd
- Sundra Skal Sálu
- Hrímvíti
- Fjallið Andar
- Eilíft Eldhaf
- Drottnari Nafnlausra Guða
- Af Fjarri Ströndum
Line-up:
- Egill – Bass guitar
- Sveinbjörn – Drums
- Eysteinn – Guitar
- Snæbjörn – Vocals
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