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Album Review – Eldur / Rituals of Death and Necromancy (2025)

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This Icelandic Black Metal entity will take you on a journey that goes beyond simple listening in his debut album, a visceral and dense universe where chaos and harmony merge to create something truly unique.

After having sparked interest with a split CD and an EP, Reykjavík, Iceland-based Black Metal entity Eldur (aka Einar Thorberg Guðmundsson), who has been active since 1994 with bands such as Thule, Potentiam, Curse, Fortíð, and Katla, is finally ready to make his official debut with Rituals of Death and Necromancy, the first part of a series called Proscribed Chronicles of Niðavellir. A sonic wall of epicness and pure Black Metal, with Eldur’s usual heavy dose of 90’s influence and even Post-Black Metal nuances, Rituals of Death and Necromancy will take you on a journey that goes beyond simple listening, a visceral and dense universe where chaos and harmony merge to create something truly unique.

The opening track Exiled flirts with Symphonic Black Metal so imposing and epic it sounds, a lecture in darkness by Eldur with his vile roars and strident riffs sounding simply amazing from start to finish. Then an ominous intro to the sound of the howling wind sets the tone in Flight of Níðhöggr (a Germanic dragon in Norse mythology who is said to gnaw at the roots of the World Tree, Yggdrasil) before morphing into another Black Metal attack by our lone wolf who crushes his drums in the name of the dark arts; and every single time a song is called Shapeshifter we can rest assured it’s going to be heavy, violent and obscure, and Eldur brings to our ears exactly that Stygian vibe, whereas Murder and a Curse keeps the flames of Black Metal burning to Eldur’s evil vociferations and scathing riffs, albeit not as exciting as the rest of the album.

Svartálfaheimr (“world of black-elves”) is one of the Nine Realms in Norse mythology, and musically speaking Eldur kicks our asses mercilessly in a lecture in Black Metal infused with Nordic sounds, where his sometimes ruthless, sometimes sluggish beats bring extra flavors to the overall result. Eldur then speeds things up in the infuriated Black Metal chant Second Life, Second Death, offering a galloping, demonic sonority perfect for worshiping absolute darkness. The last couple of songs of the album surpass the six minute mark, starting with The Dark Mountains, as sinister and imposing as it can be, exploding into total insanity to his vile roars supported by the song’s phantasmagorical background keys, and closing the album we have the stunning Undead where Eldur’s visceral gnarls, riffs and blast beats live up to the legacy of the style, resulting in what’s perhaps the strongest song of the album and a good indication as to what’s next in his dark path.

An album brought into being not only for metal fans, but also for those who seek something deeper and more introspective in a musical landscape that, while rich in offerings, often feels repetitive, Rituals of Death and Necromancy can be purchased from BandCamp or from Metal Odissey’s webstore in the US or in the EU/UK, adding tons of depth, heaviness and power to your private collection. In the end, Eldur brings fresh energy to a scene that needs new impulses armed with the excellent Rituals of Death and Necromancy, challenging the listener to dive into their intricate sonic web and lose themselves in it.

Best moments of the album: Exiled, Svartálfaheimr and Undead.

Worst moments of the album: Murder and a Curse.

Released in 2025 ATMF

Track listing
1. Exiled 4:28
2. Flight of Níðhöggr 5:22
3. Shapeshifter 4:53
4. Murder and a Curse 6:23
5. Svartálfaheimr 5:24
6. Second Life, Second Death 4:50
7. The Dark Mountains 6:37
8. Undead 6:22

Band members
Eldur – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Nexion / Sundrung (2025)

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Behold this act of rebirth through the cycle of destruction by one of the must-see names of the current Icelandic Black Metal scene.

An Old Icelandic for “discord, disharmony and the sundering of the social and cosmic fabric,” Sundrung, the sophomore effort by Reykjavík, Iceland’s own Black Metal horde Nexion, is an act of rebirth through the cycle of destruction. Mixed and mastered at Studio Emissary, and enriched by a cryptic illustration by José Gabriel Alegría Saboga, the follow-up to their 2020 debut Seven Oracles sounds vastly more dynamic and far-reaching, showcasing a stunning evolution in the music by vocalist Joshua Hróðgeir Rood, guitarists Jóhannes Smári Smárason and Óskar Rúnarsson, bassist Atli Jarl Martin, and drummer Kristján Guðmundsson.

It’s total annihilation to the sound of Uþarpaspa, where the fulminating drums by Kristján bring sheer Black Metal magic to their music, wherras Gandr sounds even more infuriated, devilish and somber, led by the scorching guitars by Jóhannes  and Óskar, all spiced up by the demonic gnarls by Joshua. Not only that, the entire song is also a curse, ritually breaking an ancient runic ward against destroyer spirits by inverting it to call them forth against mankind’s perpetrators of discord. Norðr ok niðr sounds more epic and imposing than all previous songs, even presenting hints of Symphonic Black Metal, with Kristján stealing the show with his crushing beats supported by the rumbling bass by Atli; and the beautifully titled When Raven Steals the Sun offers an overdose of first-class, in-your-face grim sounds, with Joshua taking the lead with his desperate gnarls from the underworld.

After such a demented Black Metal attack we have the cryptic interlude :Þþþ:, sounding like the soundtrack to a horror movie before we face the ruthless Hymn of the Valkyrjur, a beyond infernal creation by this talented Icelandic horde showcasing everything we love in contemporary Black Metal, in special the intricate yet primeval beats and fills by Kristján. Rending the Black Earth brings forward another six minutes of dark and melodic passages embraced by the scathing riffage by Jóhannes and Óskar, and the album couldn’t have ended in a more Stygian way than with Visions of the Seventh Fire, blending the harshness of Black Metal with the finesse and haunting melodies of Atmospheric Black Metal.

In summary, Sundrung is riven with an apocalyptic fervour that’s ramped up to the most galvanizing, consciousness-searing of degrees as it becomes an incendiary act of deliverance, and you can join Nexion in their blackened quest by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their unique creations on Spotify, and above all that, by purchasing Sundrung from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page or from Sound Cave. Because as only in death we can find our way back to life, we shall follow such a tormenting and harsh path of rebirth to the sound of the caustic Black Metal by Nexion.

Best moments of the album: Gandr, When Raven Steals the Sun and Hymn of the Valkyrjur.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Avantgarde Music

Track listing
1. Uþarpaspa 4:56
2. Gandr 6:36
3. Norðr ok niðr 5:35
4. When Raven Steals the Sun 7:46
5. :Þþþ: 2:22
6. Hymn of the Valkyrjur 6:41
7. Rending the Black Earth 6:37
8. Visions of the Seventh Fire 8:06

Band members
Joshua Hróðgeir Rood – vocals
Jóhannes Smári Smárason – guitar
Óskar Rúnarsson – guitar
Atli Jarl Martin – bass
Kristján Guðmundsson – drums

Album Review – Devine Defilement / Ruthless (2025)

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This ruthless Icelandic crew returns in full force with their third opus, stripped down of the melodic parts for more favorable “slam worship”, speed and brutality.

When you think of Scandinavia, let’s say that slamming and brutality aren’t the first things to come to mind. That’s until the Reykjavík-based Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore slam crew of Devine Defilement spewed onto the Icelandic scene in late 2016, drawing inspiration from a variety of Death Metal sub-genres and having concocted a brutal cocktail of groove, slams, blasts and ferocity that has made them a force to be reckoned with. Now in 2025 such an insane horde formed of Freyr Hreinsson and Ingólfur Ólafsson on vocals, Guðmundur Hermann Lárusson and Sigurjón Óli Gunnarsson on the guitars, Arek Alenjikov on bass, and Stefán Friðriksson on drums returns in full force with Ruthless, their third full-length offering, following up on their 2024 beast Age of Atrocities. Mixed and mastered by Floor VK at GLDCHN Studios, Ruthless is stripped down of the melodic parts for more favorable “slam worship”, speed and brutality, focusing more on the groove and amplifying what makes the crowd move, with its lyrics about murderers, neglect, suicide, cannibalism, and violence being tailored for fans of Ingested, Vulvodynia, Whitechapel, and Pathology, among countless others.

Human Sewer is a beyond bestial and devastating way to kick off the album, with Stefán’s stone crushing drums inviting us all to slam into the pit like a bunch of headbanging bastards, followed by Abusement Park, the perfect fusion of Brutal Death Metal and Deathcore, with the demented guttural by both Freyr and Ingólfur sounding utterly inhumane. Then the Cannibal Corpse-inspired riffage by Guðmundur and Sigurjón match perfectly with all haunting background sounds in Terror Tales, whereas massive blast beats and a striking guitar solo ignite the also ruthless Excreted Entity, with their monstrous dual vocal attack melting our faces mercilessly. Internal Delusions of the Torn Mind carries a very Death Metal name for what’s perhaps the most Death Metal of all songs, with Stefán demolishing everything and everyone that crosses his path on drums, while Pulverised Secretions is simply pulverizing from start to finish, with Freyr and Ingólfur unleashing their deepest, most infuriated growls of the album.

The two-part song “Anthropophagic Apocalypse” kicks off in full force with Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 1 Collapse, a slab of sheer brutality by this Icelandic squad spearheaded by the cryptic riffs blasted by their unrelating guitar duo, whereas Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 Lord of Flesh is another demonic onrush of Brutal Death Metal with symphonic elements, elevating the album’s reach and punch to a whole new level. Get ready to have your head smashed in the curb to the sound of Curbstomp the Predator, perfect for some “no holds barred” action inside the pit; and the infernal, metallic bass by Arek and the unstoppable beats and fills by Stefán will make the earth tremble in Draco Dominus, followed by the beautifully titled Bio-Organic Liquid-Slam, starting with a TV ad-like intro for some sort of “action figures” before all hell breaks loose to the demented vociferations by the band’s two-headed vocal beast. Lastly, the album ends on a dark and mysterious note with Beyond the Veil of Death, offering over five minutes of melodic yet hard hitting Brutal Death Metal with lots of Deathcore nuances.

The guys from Devine Defilement are eagerly waiting to consume your putrid body on Facebook and on Instagram, and you can obviously stream all of their vicious, demented creations on Spotify, and purchase a copy of the unrelenting Ruthless from BandCamp, from Time to Kill Records, or simply click HERE for all things Devine Defilement. There’s no better word to describe the music found in Ruthless than its own title. It’s a ruthless album, a putrid Death Metal and Deathcore attack made in Iceland, and once you’re caught inside their gory mosh pit, you’ll never see the light of day again.

Best moments of the album: Abusement Park, Internal Delusions of the Torn Mind, Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 Lord of Flesh and Bio-Organic Liquid-Slam.

Worst moments of the album: Draco Dominus.

Released in 2025 Time To Kill Records

Track listing
1. Human Sewer 3:46
2. Abusement Park 2:46
3. Terror Tales 3:09
4. Excreted Entity 4:10
5. Internal Delusions of the Torn Mind 2:54
6. Pulverised Secretions 3:51
7. Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 1 Collapse 5:08
8. Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 Lord of Flesh 3:36
9. Curbstomp the Predator 2:10
10. Draco Dominus 2:27
11. Bio-Organic Liquid-Slam 2:45
12. Beyond the Veil of Death 5:49

Band members
Freyr Hreinsson – vocals
Ingólfur Ólafsson – vocals
Guðmundur Hermann Lárusson – guitar
Sigurjón Óli Gunnarsson – guitar
Arek Alenjikov – bass, backing vocals
Stefán Friðriksson – drums

Album Review – Dynfari / Myrkurs er Þörf (2020)

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The brand new album by an amazing Icelandic Atmospheric Black Metal unity sounds as beautiful and inspiring as it is quietly somber and menacing, and as illuminating as it is sorrowful.

Since the band’s formation as a duo in 2010 in the city of Reykjavík, Iceland, the Atmospheric Black Metal unity known as Dynfari has been making a name for themselves not only in Icelandic lands, but anywhere else in the world where Black Metal influenced, heavily atmospheric music is appreciated. Currently comprised of Jóhann Örn on vocals, bass, accordion, synths and guitars, Jón Emil on percussion and guitars, and Martin Tsenov and Bragi Knutsson also on the guitars, Dynfari deal with the philosophy of life, death, the universe, loss, hope and sorrow, having explored more progressive soundscapes in their blend of Post-Rock and Black Metal in the most recent works, while returning to a more atmospheric and direct attitude now in 2020 with their fifth full-length opus, titled Myrkurs er Þörf, or something like “darkness in needed” in English. Featuring a cryptic artwork by Metaztasis (Watain, Behemoth), the album is a chameleonic, labyrinthine mix of subgenres of rock and metal, sounding thickly atmospheric, as beautiful and inspiring as it is quietly somber and menacing, and as illuminating as it is sorrowful, flowing towards a darker, heavier side of the musical spectrum, expressing a violent refusal of merely becoming a means to an end.

The opening track Dauðans Dimmu Dagar (“the dark days of death”) starts in an ominous and ethereal way to minimalist guitar notes, being gradually accompanied by the percussion and beast by Jón until a dense wall of instrumental Atmospheric Black Metal fills out every single space in the air, morphing into the enfolding Langar Nætur (Í Botnlausum Spíralstiga), or “long nights (in bottomless spiral staircase)”, a flawless depiction of modern-day Icelandic Black Metal with Jóhann delivering anguished vocal lines while Martin and Bragi slash their seven-stringed weapons majestically. And the title-track Myrkurs Er Þörf keeps embracing our souls and taking us to chilling and despondent Icelandic lands showcasing another amazing guitar job done by the quartet, while Jóhann’s vocals sound like they’re coming from a place far, far away, whereas Ég Fálma Gegnum Tómið, or “I fade through the void”, exhales melancholy and hopelessness, with the Doom Metal-inspired beats by Jón walking hand in hand with the strident riffs by Martin and Bragi, keeping the album as dark and grim as possible.

The serene instrumental interlude titled Svefnlag (“sleeping layer”) brings some peace to our blackened hearts, setting the tone for the ode to despair and obscurity named Ég Tortímdi Sjálfum Mér (“I destroyed myself”), where Jóhann blasts his most introspective roars of the entire album while the song’s imposing background keys support the piercing riffage delivered by the quartet. Then what at first seems to be another calm and bitterly cold creation by Dynfari turns into a 10-minute majestic feast of heavy-as-hell, hypnotizing sounds titled Peripheral Dreams, a lecture in contemporary Black Metal led by the crushing beats by Jón intertwined with grandiose keyboards and doomed passages, also presenting elements from Folk Metal and Blackened Doom, running wild and free until its climatic grand finale. Lastly, the wicked bass lines by Jóhann ignite the closing tune Of Suicide and Redemption, an Atmospheric Black Metal aria that lives up to the legacy of the genre, bringing forward their trademark blast beats and symphonic keys and, therefore, ending the album on a truly inspiring note.

After all is said and done, I’m more than certain you’ll be mesmerized by the atmospheric and absolutely stunning music by Dynfari, and in order to show the band your support and appreciation don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, and of course to purchase a copy of Myrkurs er Þörf from their own BandCamp page, from the Aural Music webstore in CD, silver LP, or splatter LP format, and from other locations such as Amazon and mvdshop.com. An introspection on thoughts of suicide and self-destruction, Myrkurs er Þörf is another beautiful product form the always prolific and dynamic Icelandic metal scene, showing us all that not only Icelandic Black Metal continues to be on a healthy and inspiring rise, but also that we can count on the talented guys from Dynfari to keep embellishing the airwaves with their creations until darkness finally consumes us all.

Best moments of the album: Langar Nætur (Í Botnlausum Spíralstiga), Myrkurs Er Þörf and Peripheral Dreams.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Code666

Track listing
1. Dauðans Dimmu Dagar 5:23
2. Langar Nætur (Í Botnlausum Spíralstiga) 6:37
3. Myrkurs Er Þörf 4:52
4. Ég Fálma Gegnum Tómið 4:39
5. Svefnlag 2:57
6. Ég Tortímdi Sjálfum Mér 5:10
7. Peripheral Dreams 10:35
8. Of Suicide and Redemption 6:37

Band members
Jóhann Örn – vocals, bass, accordion, synths, guitars
Jón Emil – percussion, guitars
Martin Tsenov – guitars
Bragi Knutsson – guitars

Album Review – Nexion / Seven Oracles (2020)

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Behold the indomitable seven-headed best of Black Metal summoned by an up-and-coming, infernal horde hailing from Iceland.

The nature of existence and human value and meaning are central themes in every religion, every spirituality and countless philosophies. It is thus fitting that Reykjavík, Iceland-based Black Metal horde Nexion’s first full-length opus, entitled Seven Oracles, concerns itself with these subjects, working as a revelatory “proclamation” of mythic proportions. Formed in 2016, the band comprised of Joshua Hróðgeir Rood on vocals, Jóhannes Smári Smárason and Óskar Rúnarsson o the guitars, Kári Pálsson on bass and Sigurður Jakobsson on drums offers in the follow-up to their 2017 self-titled EP a collection of the seven “oracles”, with each one addressing the nature of existence from a different angle, revealing and tearing away upheld “truths” like the serpent who gnaws the roots of Yggdrasil. Each song is a dagger, each chord is poison, and each utterance is fire, destroying the receiver’s sense of existential belief until there is nothing left. Mixed and mastered at Studio Emissary in Iceland, and featuring a cryptic artwork by José Gabriel Alegría Sabogal portraying a seven-headed beast appearing before a figure who offers it up a libation in exchange for wisdom within a self-conflating world, Seven Oracles has everything we love in extreme music, leaving us all completely disoriented after its 46 minutes of scorching and austere music are over.

Arising from the depths of the underworld, this Icelandic horde generates a Stygian wall of sounds in the title-track Seven Oracles, exploding into a raw and vile sonority led by Sigurður’s infernal drums while Joshua roars like a true demonic entity, not to mention the strident riffage by the band’s guitar duo, building an instant bridge to the also occult and ritualistic extravaganza titled Revelation of Unbeing, bringing elements from Blackened Doom and Doom Metal to make the overall result even more uncanny, with Jóhannes, Óskar and Kári being on absolute fire with their stringed weapons from start to finish. Then we have Divine Wind and Holocaust Clouds, a lesson in modern-day Black Metal made in Iceland that’s even more disturbing and grim than its predecessors, spearheaded by Joshua and his Death Metal-inspired growls and also presenting the trademark epicness of Scandinavian Black Metal; and there’s no time to breather as those ruthless metallers blast another sulfurous aria entitled Sanctum Amentiae, where the razor-edged riffs by both Jóhannes and Óskar are in perfect sync with the rhythmic, pounding beats by Sigurður.

In the fantastic and fulminating Utterances of Broken Throats the entire band hammers their instruments mercilessly, bringing to our ears a piercing and dense hybrid of classic Black Metal and contemporary Melodic Black Metal, or in other words, get ready to be utterly stunned and smashed by those talented marauders. And the tribal beats by Sigurður are gradually accompanied by the hellish guitar lines by Jóhannes and Óskar until all hell breaks loose in The Spirit of Black Breath, another feast of Icelandic Black Metal that will put you in a darkened trance throughout its over six minutes of devilish sounds and tones, followed by the climatic closing aria The Last Messiah, named after the eponymous book The Last Messiah, in honor of Norwegian philosopher Peter Wessel Zappfe, sounding as demolishing and detailed as all previous songs from such intense album of extreme music. Furthermore, Joshua’s growls get deeper and more berserk as the music progresses, all embraced by crisp guitar riffs, rumbling bass punches and a gargantuan amount of evil and obscurity for our vulgar delectation.

This seven-headed best of Black Metal summoned by Nexion is waiting for you at the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page or at the Sound Cave’s webstore in different formats such as the regular digipak CD version or the awesome orange/black marble LP + shirt bundle, and you can also get to know more about such distinct act of the underground Black Metal scene by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and by listening to more of their music on Spotify. This is Icelandic Black Metal at its finest, and we must all thank Nexion for bringing to us all mere mortals such breathtaking and compelling display of extreme music, setting the bar really high for the band’s five evil minds in the upcoming releases, always sounding sulfurous, always extreme, and above all that, always loyal to the foundations of Black Metal and to their Scandinavian roots.

Best moments of the album: Divine Wind and Holocaust Clouds and Utterances of Broken Throats.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Avantgarde Music

Track listing
1. Seven Oracles 6:22
2. Revelation of Unbeing 5:35
3. Divine Wind and Holocaust Clouds 5:52
4. Sanctum Amentiae 6:05
5. Utterances of Broken Throats 7:08
6. The Spirit of Black Breath 6:25
7. The Last Messiah 9:05

Band members
Joshua Hróðgeir Rood – vocals
Jóhannes Smári Smárason – guitar
Óskar Rúnarsson – guitar
Kári Pálsson – bass
Sigurður Jakobsson – drums