The Italian trio Nyx (A. Sathsiva, S. Flagellyon and G. Azelyoth) recorded this new album at the Sottomarino Giallo Rec Service studio during summer 2014, with mixing / mastering assistance of Luis Varo. The result, called Hairesis and, unfortunately, lasting for only half an hour (and some seconds, all right), gets released by two of my preferred East-European labels, i.e. Vacula Productions and Satanath Records.
I will come right to the point. After an operatic, quasi divine intro (extremely short, and just like some other pieces, it’s based on da Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli), Nyx bring rhythmic, harsh, militant, pounding and apocalyptic Black Metal with a timeless approach, quite some variation in structure and melody, a fantastic sound quality, and a pure tribute-to-the-Nordic-scene attitude underneath the grim, bleak surface. Sounds good, does it not? And since the quality of both song writing and performance (and production) indeed is enormously high, you will have to share my enthusiasm.
I keep it simple: if you are looking for something different, something renewing, then this album won’t be your cup of poisonous tea; but if you sh*t on modernism, and adore the true essence of tradition, then (and you might know what might follow right now…).