Blackened hardcore metal band Nadir extend their reach with their first full-length album, Extinction Rituals.

From Oslo, Norway, Nadir hit the heavy music scene with the debut EP, The Great Dying, in 2020. That record was largely traditional black metal music, although even then you could hear the beginnings of transformations. On the new album, the musicians have gone much further toward embracing their own identity through their creative compositions. Extinction Rituals looks to be the start of something big. The band is Ole Wik (guitar, vocals), Magnus Wiig (guitar), Jonas Bengtson (drums), and Erik Gullesen (bass).

There are ten tracks on the album, beginning with the intro bit, “Void,” featuring bells and wind, leading into “Iron Lung,” a song that hits a ton. The massive guitars and vocals of savagery set an unmistakable mood. It is a mixture of black metal foundations and other metal structures that is very compelling. “The Old Wind” starts in a similar sense – clear black metal underpinnings, modified in a direction curving toward a heavy music center. In this song, the harshness has more of a crackle than the opener, yet it is still in a similar orbit. The music is energetic and charging. Great song. “Absolute” sounds very different, with a large presence at a reduced tempo, at times fostering doom. This song is my favorite of the set.

I am sold on the combination, the amalgamation, of approaches and influences that go into every song on this record. Each track is melded in a different way, and the whole group is variegated with a clear intention. Some of the other songs that I liked best include “Beyond The Shadow Of Death,” for its depth and heaviness, and “A Name On Every Rope,” which, as a concept, is a dark wonder. The closing stride is the title song, “Extinction Rituals,” which seems like music of conquest, or at the very least, endings. I found the entire album enthralling and the band has captured my attention. Recommended.

Extinction Rituals is out on Friday, May 5^th. An good place to get it is Bandcamp, at the link below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://nadircult.bandcamp.com/album/extinction-rituals

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/NadirCult

© Wayne Edwards