ALBUM REVIEW: Múspellzheimr – Múspellzheimr

Denmark’s otherworldly Black Metal fiends Múspellzheimr are back with their 4th album of abyssal soundscapes. Out via Amor Fati Productions on May 5th.

Firing into fruition with dastardly, dissonant and inhuman soundscapes, pungent riffing and distant drums echo forth from another realm. The atonal and mournful atmosphere is immediately captivating with its intoxicating radiance of unhinged musicianship that crawls through a raw murk as lunatic vocals ensue upon the sonic upheaval of the instruments, it takes no time at all for the music to get its claws into you. The reverberate, convulsing and warped instruments contort with a volatile and untamed energy that screams with feral passion of an occult and mystical nature. Synths weave in with the more melodic guitar elements to create a richly textured progression amidst the chaotic and raw Black Metal assault, certainly an interesting blend that for some may be unpalatable but for the few who can withstand such violating music, is a wonder to behold.

These blistering and unforgiving tempests of disdainful sound work brilliantly with a complex and layered approach to the songwriting which never seems to follow a strict path, rather acting on impulse, yet the raw and cavernous sounds work in unison to paint a far grander and more anguishing soundscape that relies more on nuance than on-the-nose technicality, though the musicianship is clearly grandiose. The fervent and nightmarish wailing of the recording slips seamlessly through the 5 tracks as one, in what can only be described as transcendent fashion, something one can associate with the superior Black Metal bands whom need not have a single standout song amidst filler material. This methodical and lucid work of art surpasses the need to cut their craft, offering a visceral and unrelenting intensity that is vehemently unpredictable.

Unwavering cascades of supremely dark and unearthly Black Metal remain consistent while we can never see what lies just out of reach, be it a bombardment of blistering high-speed insanity or a drawn out cut of dissonant experimentation, what can be relied on is this excellence in delivering these wicked concoctions of devilish ambience. There are moments of respite in the ritualistic onslaught that prove mellow and false comforting, though the seething vitriol is never far away, lurking in the darkest corners which Múspellzheimr conjure forth from your own mind. There is certainly a psychoactive element to this sound that may be harmful to those who cannot withstand such a performance, as I said before, this is intended for the few and not the many. Judge for yourself as Múspellzheimr set a magnificent example on the sheer potency of what Black Metal has to offer in this day and age while respecting the genres past, giving it a new life of danger and isolating presences.

Once more Múspellzheimr have delivered a sonic tempest of unfaltering, discordant and claustrophobic Black Metal with feverish and disconcerting atmospherics presenting malice throughout. This is a full work and should be treated as such, revelling in its nightmarish meditations. Witness its unwieldy abyssal visions for yourself.