ALBUM REVIEW: Misþyrming – Með Hamri

MISÞYRMING return with their 3rd album of glacial Icelandic Black Metal. Out via Norma Evangelium Diaboli on December 16th.

Powerful riffs drive in a thrashing fury with crazed cymbal and tom attacks blending through the mix with a potent sharpness. The discordant cascades of ferocious metallic barbarity are met with D.G.’s recognisable signature howls which permeate the air with even more darkness. From the previous records to this, based on the opening moments, speed has been ramped up with an old school dose of classic Heavy Metal thunder coming into their mysterious Black Metal soundscapes. This is not entirely new, as Misþyrming have always been a band to drive forward with their music rather than falter on a singular idea. Taking elements from more 80s sounds and firing them into overdrive onslaughts of dissonant carnage, balanced by occasional subtle synths and we hear a really interesting development. Some of the riffs have a feel not dissimilar to Funeral Mist, though with that unmistakably Icelandic flavour. Misþyrming had a real anthemic angle on the last record which I am truly glad to hear has carried over to give some fist pounding strengths to the overall hostility of their sound. The drumming is absolutely mental with not only a ridiculous amount of hits occurring, but a huge dynamic diversity which allows melodies and accents to come through even with such walls of feverishly feral guitars spanning the noise spectrum. In fairness, this should come as no surprise due to this band having always had some of the supreme instrumental skills in Black Metal from day one. Opening thoughts; Misþyrming hold my favour as one of the best bands in the genre.

Black Metal has always had a huge emphasis on the atmosphere that is largely carried by the guitar (T.Í and D.G) and vocal (D.G.) performances. These are undoubtedly magnificent, but it would be unforgivable to lump Misþyrming into this category. Their attention to detail in all facets ensures the bass (G.E.) and drums (M.S.) get as much impact as the aforementioned leading roles with each member bringing some unique sounds into the union of malice that makes up the overall sound and feel of the album. Equally, the production is gorgeously textured and tasteful with some crunch, some clarity and plenty of dense layers to explore. There is something chilling about the way the vocals dance upon these instrumentals with a mournful element to D.G.’s snarling howls. Indeed the melancholy is present in throughout, yet doesn’t dull the blade of fearsomeness. The desolate feelings do not end here, some industrial flares add an urban element to the decay of joy while the psychoactive melodies of the guitars bring a more natural angle back into the fold. The contrasting emotions are not mere juxtapositions for the sake of sentimentality, but an open wound to inspect. Though be careful, the hostile intent and intensity of this record are made clear in the opening songs, and do not fall from this high standard. The overbearing and evocative cover artwork by Manuel Tinnemans serves as a triumphant indicator to the abyssal and fervently spectacular contents of this recording, acting as a perfect aesthetic accompaniment to truly glorious music.

The middle section of this album definitely serves as the most upbeat with some absolutely spectacular melodies and haunting orchestrations to give a cinematic centrefold to this explorative creation that shows a truly visionary execution. Contrastingly, the angles can be sharp and take us from punctual grooving to a funereal ambience without much warning before injecting a raging adrenaline or bitter dissonance seemingly from nowhere. The thing that has always amazed me about this entity is not just their wide range of sounds, but the ability to bring these progressions together in a way that makes sense and does not just leave a simple mess of aborted ideas. These militantly marching hooks and sparse wastelands of the mind can be explored in depth due to the bands’ regard only for their own craftsmanship rather than a preconceived notion of what they ‘should’ be, ironically rendering them truer than most to their art. To me “Algleymi” is the pinnacle of contemporary Black Metal, and this follow-up does not disappoint. Any concerns it may be overshadowed by two fantastic predecessors can be put to rest by the sheer impeccable quality offered by “Með Hamri”. The key difference would be that this is the most orchestral and cinematically expansive Misþyrming record by far. Taking the dissonant warped qualities of the first, melodic classiness of the second and now adding a huge range of embattling musicality from an almost soundtrack-like point of view. The spectres of the past still haunt the devil’s music, and yet it develops in the darkest corners. In this case, Reykjavik.

Misþyrming represents the real old school; refined and explorative yet traditional and uncompromising. Black Metal at its most majestic and malignant but also melodious and awe-inspiring. There is a truly epic feeling present here and yet not in a cartoonish or gimmicky fashion, but produced by true explorative artistry and genuine crushing might. All shall fall by the hammer.