Nyrst (Iceland): “Orsök”

​Widely anticipated and hyped on social media, the first full-length Orsök by the Icelandic black metal band Nyrst is finally out. Dark Essence Records made a huge effort to promote the band already a month ahead of the release date, creating high expectations around Orsök. So the first question is: is the album up to expectations? I must say that when I listened to the full album for the first time on April 24, I was expecting something extraordinary, new, never heard, also because the two songs that had previously been revealed “Orsök” and “Nástimi” are excellent. Well, my impression is that “Orsök” is certainly excellent but not extraordinary, but it does deliver glacial black metal as only an Icelandic band can do, and it is full of coldness and mysticism. At the same time, by the time the album was released, Nyrst was already a phenomenon, and I expect to hear more about them in the future and to see them around European metal festivals. Orsök remains, however, one of the best albums in 2020.
 
Notes:
Orsök was released on April 24, 2020 through Dark Essence Records. ‘Nyrst’ translates in Icelandic for ‘the northest’.
 
Personnel:
Egil: Bass
Sveinbjörn: Drums
Kristmundur: Guitars
Eysteinn: Guitars
Snæbjörn: Vocals
 
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com