A brand-new formation somehow ages old, NYKTMYST hail from the ever-thriving Dutch black metal scene. Like many of their modern countrymen, the duo exhibit some of the same hallmarks - heroic riff-surge, austere execution, a propensity toward pagan-oriented placidity, and an altogether refreshing recasting of '90s-rooted tropes - but as evidenced by their self-titled debut mini-album, NYKTMYST excel in the art of songwriting. The three main black metal tracks on Nykmyst - the other two tracks are no-less-stirring interludes - revel in straightforward simplicity, building upon linear trajectories and thoughtful detours, with the overall movement being breathless and passionate but not without nuance or especially dynamics. Simply witness the closing epic "Portal Tomb" to inhale that nostalgic, ancient air...in fact, "epic" handily describes those three central tracks, as each feel a lot larger than their sub-six-minute runtimes suggest. Through their equally haunted music and vocals, NYKTMYST incinerate your soul with the torch of devilry, death, and mysticism.
