The process of being experimental can lead to a lot of shit when you’re a metal band doing whatever you will. Black metal is the perfect vessel for experimentation as already dozens and dozens of styles have spawned for the original, and yet there’s still material that can only be described as experimental. This duo known as Nyss perfectly fall under such a description, and their upcoming debut is no less than the perfect result of experimentation that a band could ever ask for.
With only three tracks to call its own and thirty minutes conjured up, this new record of “Princesse Terre (Three Studies of Life and Death” has an absolute fuck ton going for it! Each song features an incredible sense of musicianship as they’re all unique in their own rights, and Nyss manages to transit swiftly from what I could describe as echoes of dungeon synth to flat out black metal that really knows how to singe the listener and leave its mark. It’s the band ability to use rock solid tropes of the genre, particularly in the vocals department and overall atmosphere, but Nyss truly branches out with “Princesse Terre” to provide us with a thick, layered atmosphere that’s not only immensely compelling but the kind of thing that really locks you in place because you’re captivated by the chants alongside the screams, or what sounds like synths, or the black metal riffs that really know how to slice up the atmosphere previously laid forth. Nyss brings it all together to give us this rich experience that knows no bounds and is a marvelous display of what talent these gentlemen possess, and it’s an awesomely strong piece that they should be proud to call their first attempt at a full-length piece. “Princesse Terre” is the sort of thing that becomes more intriguing with each listen, and I can almost guarantee that if you make it through the whole record then you’ll feel compelled to listen to it again, and thus you’ll find yourself seeing more glorious sights in the darkness than you did before. That’s a beautiful thing few can achieve, but Nyss has done it masterfully.
This year has been chock full of interesting records from all over metal and we’ve seen the debuts of many great bands with loads of potential, Nyss is easily one of those bands. This effort is no less than monumental and is the sort of thing that can easily lead to a cult following for Nyss which I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest because of its sheer quality. If you want to hear what’s possibly one of the most tasteful debuts that could go criminally overlooked, then don’t let “Princesse Terre” pass you by for nothing!
“Princesse Terre (Three Studies of Life and Death” releases on August 28th via Avantgarde Music!
LISTEN to the opening track, “I”, on Bandcamp here or via YouTube below.
LIKE Nyss on Facebook here.
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