There are black metal bands and there are black metal bands. Misþyrming have for several years now consistently proven that they are among the best in the game today, and these Icelandic madmen unleash fury at a level few of their peers could dream of. Their new album Með hamri is a thriller, a massive sounding release that unleashes hell upon your eardrums time and time again. It's unrelenting and wonderfully crippling black metal that understands the dark roots and twisted fruits of the genre. Uncompromising and unwilling to change at any expense, this is forward thinking black metal done with a passion for the old school.
Where Misþyrming really excel is in unveiling the darkness of the human condition. There is a sense of the larger than life and almost terrifying that helps to shape so much of what they do. The passionate fires that burn throughout Með hamri are both plentiful and fierce. The way that Misþyrming unleash hell on tracks like "Engin Miskunn" is impressive. Three albums into their career and the band have started to on a well merited sense of swagger that fuels their sound. Not a lot of other bands in the scene can maintain the same sort of intensity that seems to come so naturally to Misþyrming either. These are songs of experience that clearly build on what they've done before.
Every time Misþyrming drop a new album it feels like a very definitive moment in the history of black metal. Their albums are potent statements, each one more committed to the genres origins and ethos than the last. Even within these tight strictures they find ways to grow, evolve and continually impress listeners. If you're looking for an easy entry point into the genre, then this isn't for you. If you want an affirmation of the iron heeled boots of black metal misery, then this is an album that will call forth the darkness once more.
Pre-order the album!
No comments:
Post a Comment