FYRNASK – Eldir Nótt Review + Stream

Bells. Ritualistic chants. A timbal. What we hear is not some arcane field recording of a mysterious pagan ritual but the intro of FYRNASK’s Eldir Nótt. The German one-man Black Metal outfit, whose sole member Fyrnd takes care of all the instruments, arrangements an the vocals, is around for about five years now. And to pre-empt the essence of this review: Eldir Nótt is not only the best record of FYRNASK up to date, but one of the best Black Metal records this aging year has seen.

Directly from the start Eldir Nótt creates a very palpable, shadowy atmosphere. Or better, Eldir Nótt is pure atmosphere itself – listening to the 56 minute long album is like a journey to a forgotten past, through endless forests underneath the cold and immemorial stars. To enable this terrifying experience, FYRNASK makes use of nothing but the classic elements that have been established in the Black Metal genre in the early to mid 90ies. There’s a very Scandinavian vibe to the record, the production is quite sparse, the riffs are often reminiscent of Norwegian cvlt bands like Mayhem (De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas era) or Darkthrone (Transilvanian Hunger era), exploring the blackest melodies and harmonies there are without wimping out. The drumming is kept simple but highly hypnotic due to its affection for lengthy blast-beat passages.

Listen to two tracks of the album:

During and between the songs there are a lot of quiet, almost ambient-like moments, the constantly recurring calm before the storm. I dare to say that these calm passages are not too far away from what’s happening in a lot of USBM these days, Ash Borer for example. These tracks and moments, quiet as falling leaves, help to condense the overall vibe of Eldir Nótt, making it like a soundtrack to the journey your mind might take while listening. Needless to say, FYRNASK’s new record is giving you the best experience when you take the time and listen to the whole thing from start to finish.

So just in case you’re now a bit turned off by the excessive mentioning of the atmosphere present on Eldir Nótt – that’s not the whole story. In fact the album is also really aggressive at times, proving that FYRNASK haven’t forgotten that good Black Metal always contains a certain sinister atmosphere and severity. The vocals are harsh as fuck (the German lyrics add a lot to that), the riffs are played blisteringly fast and there are moments on Eldir Nótt when FYRNASK sounds like the total embodiment of wrath. So this record isn’t tame by any means.

FYRNASK achieved something very difficult with Eldir Nótt, which is the perfect balance between melancholy and fury. Many Black Metal bands certainly try, but these days many tend way too much towards the calm side of things, writing easy-listening records that miss passion and boisterousness. FYRNASK show the world how to do it right, delivering, as mentioned above, one of the best Black Metal records of 2013 and probably one of the most important, too. If you have only the slightest interest in Black Metal you need to hear Eldir Nótt.

Get the record via Temple of Torturous.
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