Liste der Bands Black Metal Nyktalgia Nyktalgia

If there's one thing that annoys me the most about Depressive Black Metal, it's the fact that every single band gets labeled as Burzum clone, often without any weight to this accusation. Just because Burzum crafted a dreary atmosphere on Hvis Lyset Tar Oss doesn't mean every single Depressive Black Metal act is a clone of that. Sure Burzum might have been the first Black Metal band to tread into bleaker and more atmospheric boundaries but labeling so many bands as Burzum clone is complete bigotry. These people seriously need to get their heads out of their rear ends and actually give the style an actual listen before they make derogatory comments about it.

Nyktalgia aren't depressing in the usual meaning. The music here isn't bleak or suicidal, it's more of a romanticized melancholy. The music is fairly upbeat but it's also excruciatingly agonized at the same time, this gives Nyktalgia their own unique flair and makes them stand out from other bands working within the genre. The depressive aspect on display here isn't amplified by negative chord progressions, minimalism or a pitch black atmosphere. For me the depressive factor is predominantly amplified by the vocals and the heartbreaking melodies. Skjeld has probably the most agonizing voice I have ever heard in Black Metal, his voice is more agonized than Nattramn and maybe even Kim Carlsson. The vocals are certainly one of the main selling points of this album.

The music on display here is not by any means standard fare. The music is surprisingly melodic and also a little upbeat. There isn't an over reliance on repetition or minimalism because if you've got music this heart breaking without them then you might as well leave them out. The riffs are original and work well together. Riff based Depressive Black Metal isn't something you hear very often, which is such a shame because this album perfectly emulates the depressive atmosphere without being overly simplistic. The riff based nature of the album also helps to make it much more entertaining and really propels the replay value to great heights. This is one of the few Depressive Black Metal albums that I could listen to over and over again and never tire of. There's just so much going on.

You can tell you're dealing with some killed musicians whilst listening to this album, there's nothing overly technical about this album but the song structures are absolutely amazing. The bass is actually audible, which is a rarity in the genre. This gives the album much more weight and substance to it, it makes the album sound more whole so to speak. The bass doesn't do the usual trick of mirroring the guitar riffs but adds some enjoyable passages under them. I'd also like to point out that the drumming is actually really good, I love how they actually have a real drummer and don't use a drum machine. The drummer does some great stuff, especially on the third track, they never distract the listener from the riffs so it fits perfectly in with the rest of the album.

This release is unusually fast for the genre, I guess this is because they lean more towards standard Black Metal rather than having a strong Doom presence about the music like Trist and Forgotten Tomb. As such this album can be compared to Silencer but unlike them Nyktalgia are able to keep the depressive factor intact.

The production is absolutely flawless for this album, I love poor production but I'm finding that some bands seriously over do it *cough* Xasthur. Poor production when done correctly works in the bands favor and Nyktalgia certainly do that. The music isn't buried by a ridiculous level of static that muffles everything underneath it. Everything can be heard perfectly on this album and that is another major selling point.

Before I close this review up I'd like to spend some time discussing the last track Exitus Letalis. Never before have I heard this much agony in a song before, everything about this track is just heart breaking. From the soul crushing melodies to the excruciatingly tortured vocal performance, everything about this just breathes depression. This is one of the most mind devastating songs I have ever heard and along with Trist's Sn?ní one of the best songs in Depressive Black Metal and Black Metal as a whole for that matter. If you're going to check this band out I seriously recommend listening to this track first.

The strangest thing about this album is that it's depressing and catchy. Two words that shouldn't go together but on this album there isn't any other way to put it. If you have resignations about the Depressive Black Metal scene then this album might just change your mind about it. Brilliant album.
Overall Rating- 20/20
Best track- Exitus Letalis