Released: 2015, Infernal Kommando Records
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team
Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus hail from Philadelphia U.S., where they conjure hypnotic black metal with influences from founder Mika Mage’s Finnish heritage. Most of the songs from the album have been transformed directly from passages of national epic The Kalevala, which to those who don’t know is an eminent Finnish poetic book which holds tales of traditional legends and myths. Predominantly Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus are a U.S black metal band that have mastered the ways of being atmospheric, ambient, personal, cold and melodic all at once. The new album “The Child Must Die” overall is a refreshingly ambient and melodic addition to the black metal genre with the classical aggressive and cold under tones. The album consists of 7 tacks, majority of which stood out to me and are not too missed.
Firstly I need to mention Track 3 - Let Them Perish, it is brutal yet atmospherically compelling to overtake and grabs you into its riffs and melody. It is a truly mesmerising song and I have a feeling this will be one of the main hits from the album, which is a definite to check out.
Next in the album is Track 4 - Feast of the North Farm, it instantly smacks you in the face by throwing you right into the aggressive and ambient black metal genre of the band. However as the track progress it hits you with a twist that will send shudders down your spine which is something to be heard and enjoyed.
One song I must suggest is Track 6 – Väinämöinen, it instantly stood out to me and is immersive from start to finish. It starts out cold and ambient which builds up into atmospheric melodic riffs, which you can truly connect to on an emotional level. Ultimately Väinämöinen is a song I personally enjoyed the most out of the album and would love to see this played live. I am very positive it is going to be a big hit with the black metal fans out there across the globe. This tack is one that is a “must” to listen to from the album and not to be missed.
Finally Tack 7 starts by both the guitar and bass which is very powerful and full of emotion, the conversation between all of the instruments hits you on a personal level of connection telling tales from The Kalevala. This song is short and very sweet, the perfect way to end an album as it drags you in and chucks you back out craving for more.
I am looking forward to what Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus have to offer in the future and feel this is going to be a great hit with fans of the black metal genre. I know I will be picking up my own copy of the new album after experiencing their music. This band is definitely one to watch out for as they have the ability to dominate in the black metal society.
Review by Alexis Evans