The debut release of Nôidva is here, promising to present some old school Black Metal of transcendental proportions in the old school way. Out via Purity Through Fire on April 11th.
Cutting folkish melodies come in with some excellent guitar riffs, a harrowing scream and utterly ferocious drum assaults. Nôidva do not waste a second in delivering some blisteringly savage yet welcomingly upbeat Black Metal with a touch of influence from bands like Windir shining through their harshly catchy soundscapes. With some of the most astoundingly bitter vocals I have heard in a while and some gorgeous neoclassical style synths offering a similar addition to the likes of Kalmah, a really interesting blend with ritualistically thrashing Black Metal. This is definitely a memorable first release, that can be said from very early on.
The dancing extremities of raw yet inviting Black Metal gives a hypnotically ancient ambience that draws on so many elements to create a powerful and soaring performance of pure brilliance. While the melodious side of things may give a more accessible feel to the music, the raw onslaughts of pummelling, vicious instrumentals and heinously screeched vocals make sure it does not lose any impact. For a first album, even if you disregard this fact, there is an unmistakable excellence to the songwriting with Nôidva able to create some truly astonishing melodies and unique sounds. I guess the best way to surmise this is imagining if Peste Noire, Kalmah and Windir were mixed together and presented as 90s Scandinavian Black Metal.
Tribal beats give a vitriolic groove to the ravenous inferno of blast beats and cascading riffs, further accentuating the monstrously captivating sound that is remarkably diverse already. With so many killer ideas presented as such ravaging music, one might assume there is a disjointed feeling to the record but Nôidva not only have wonderful ideas, they transcendently progress in a smooth and well thought out manner that is never jarring or overkill. The folkish elements do not end at the melodic influences with some epic chants used gloriously amidst the howling maniacal vocals, a great touch.
Overall this EP is a ferociously good first release with endless unpredictable twists and turns in an esoteric journey through yet another fantastic Finnish Black Metal record. For those who prefer Black Metal to contain tons of experimental touches while retaining that old school flame, a notoriously hard balance to perfect, Nôidva do a marvellous job. Definitely an interesting and mystical release that deserves plenty of respect in the underground. -8.5/10
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