Ever does a particular style have a golden standard that varies from one approach to the next with the right notions taken ensuring that, at some point or another, there’s a specific sound that many in the scene flock towards in hopes that glory is to be had. Black metal is no exception from that rule with an icy, scathing sound the sort of magnificence that we’re constantly gravitating towards even if we’re not aware of it. It’s in recent times that we’ve seen plenty try their hand at it, but few have been as successful as what Mýrdal has already proven itself to be just two years after its initial work. Black metal such as what we’re dealing with here is the sort that, when done right, is downright intoxicating from beginning to end. Where the riffs and the absolute menace come into play, darkness tends to be the most utilized instrument and theme in the swirling cauldron that the band in question is doing their best to not let boil over and become uncontrollable with only the most focused masters of the craft able to deliver on a meaningful scale. Previously, Mýrdal had but one EP to their name but it is now with the arrival of “Helvíti” that this German act immediately puts itself on the map as a name that is to be respected. A stripped-down approach to what many expect cold black metal of this ilk to be in the best of times, “Helvíti” maximizes its use of what seems like a small track list that consists of just five tracks to become a surprisingly vicious whirlwind of riffs, blood, and darkness of a kind that blackens the very skies the moment that Mýrdal makes its presence known with their intense brand of menacing evil a driving force that fans new and old of black metal should be able to instantly flock towards. This is madness and chaos of the most engaging variety with very little left on the table by the time “Helvíti” comes to a close and Mýrdal has made it damn clear that it’s a name that is not to be taken lightly. At any given moment, there are loads of promising acts on the rise throughout the vast global network of black metal acts in the sprawling underground realms. While some take their time climbing those very ranks, Mýrdal seems to be on a truly meteoric rate. All that has been summoned for the terror of “Helvíti” makes for the signs of a truly massive act should it seize the opportunity and show us what they’re made of. If nothing else is made obvious by the end of this album, it’s the simple fact that we need to keep an extremely close eye on Mýrdal from here on out.
