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March 2024 Band of the Month: Nyrst

  • acewhitty
  • Mar 1, 2024
  • 3 min read



Hailing from the capitol of Iceland, Reykjavik, Nyrst ("North" in English) are a five piece atmospheric black metal band formed in 2013 under the name Skuggská. (Changed to Nyrst in 2016).






For Fans of Bands like: MGLA, Uada, Mayhem, Akhlys, and Wolves in the Throneroom.


A friendly staff member at "All Sales Vinyl" in Ft. Collins, Colorado recommended this band to me, so I picked up their record "Orsök" on vinyl and jammed them via Spotify on the drive home.


I immediately craved to hear more of this band as I listened to the eerie and powerful sound of the title track from their album "Orsök." The first thing I noticed about Nyrst is the immediate satisfaction that you look for when you are a fan of the black metal sound. Listening further though, Nysrt establishes their own sound very quickly with intense elements of dramatic atmosphere, paired with diverse vocals that are almost operatic.

These vocals immediately had me obsessed with Nyrst. Listening to the track "Völd" I immediately felt transcended into their raw talent and uniqueness. Basically what I'm getting at is that the frontman has freakin' pipes.... Their music just feels..powerful. The way that Nyrst pairs his vocals with their intense and dramatic instrumentals accentuates their sound. The songs don't get one dimensional either, I've found that some can find black metal somewhat universal, and that's why I respect and suggest Nyrst. While they do establish themselves unquestionably as black metal, their extra elements I mentioned make them unique, new, and fresh.



 


Considering their short but sweet discography at two full length albums, it's the perfect time to dive into Nyrst. Then you can join me and patiently wait for them to drop more atmospheric goodness.




Pictured is Nyrst's first album, Orsök.

Following a great intro in the first track, the raw operatic/choir-like vocals immediately hit hard in "Orsök." Following this track Nyrst leans a bit more into their black metal roots with higher pitched vocals joining in with their established atmospheric sound. Theres a break in the chaos on this record that acts as an harsh instrumental intro into the later half of the album in Athöfn, from there, the album is tied nicely together with the finishing with the harsh track "Turnar í fjarska."


Pictured is the second album by Nyrst, "Völd"."

Völd's title track blew me away. It starts this album perfectly with a crash of thunder and eerie groan like gutturals. Just when you think the blastbeats and trems will continue, Nyrst shows their flexibility and diversity with their trademark vocals acting as a transition point for the rest of the melodic masterpiece. There are so many changes and transitions that work so well. The song continues to evolve as it progresses, and the vocalist's range takes hold. His vocals display diversity by mixing harsh vocals with cleaner "belts". The rest of the album follows the title track to a T, with excellent tracks like Sundra skal sálu, Hrimvíti, and Eilíft Eldhalf. 10/10 Album.

This album as a whole feels a bit more melodic, but not "less heavy" or toned down compared to their first release. A friend of mine pointed out how well the guitars are layered. A bit more refined in production yes, but damn it still rips.

 

Please give Nyrst a listen if you dare and feel free to leave a comment on what you think of them. Maybe one day they will embark on an North American tour...


Linked below are some of Nyrst's music videos, Their image and production is fantastic.


Nyrst - Orsök (Full Album Live Performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZjXdkTFoY&t=624s


Check out and support the place I found this gem of a band:



Thx for Reading- below find some sources and links related to this post! I hope you enjoyed the first month in my not cliche at all band of the month series















 
 
 

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