The light shined on Belgium in 2021, Guy van Nieuwehove had a vision to craft an unique sound of black metal fused with progressive and orchestral influences. After some collaborations with other musicians this has led to Nyrak’s debut: Malvs (2022).
As the time went by it became clear to him that Nyrak was meant to become something greater than just a studio project. That destiny unfolded in 2024 as they became a complete live act. This has brought life to their second full length Devourer of all, but the band had not yet reached everything there is to reach.
After an EP release last May called Faceless tyrant, the band continued writing on the foundation of this release and that’s how their third full length, Phoenix mortis, saw the light. As a band with a relatively short lifespan and already going for their third full length, there is a risk of becoming ‘more the same’, which is fine, but can also be seen as boring.
Let’s take a listen to Nyrak – Phoenix mortis, and see if that is the case or not.
The first of the eight tracks is called Leviathan, with an intro that tries to build up the tension, but is just clutter in my opinion. Luckily it lasts only thirty seconds before hell unleashes, a fast paced bombblast, an old school sounding black metal riff and some synths to add to the dimension. The vocals sound great and the guitar tone is spot on.
The bass guitar could have been a bit more on the front in the mix, but I think that is because the drums are too loud. They take up a lot of space and almost sound too polished, a bit like a drumcomputer (their drummer Bram Veldeman is a true beast on the kit, this is no drumcomputer at work). It can be seen as an honor to be compared to a computer, and my compliments are there, but a little bit more organic sounding drums would hit the sweet spot even more.
After a devastating first track we are greeted with a more atmospheric Promethean fire, the mix on this track hits the good spots, the atmosphere is intact even during the blast sections. The blast sections remind me a lot of Templum anima morti, that band does use a drumcomputer, but the atmosphere felt the same to me.
The rest of the album follows the feeling of the first two tracks. Great atmosphere, good musicianship and a great feeling for the flow of the tracks. The riffs are right up my alley, the vocals suit the music greatly. Generally I’m not a fan of the use of synths, but this is perfectly applied here.
This album reminds me of many bands, as they execute things perfectly on different fronts. At times this reminds me of some Belphegor work, at other times an Ahklys comes to mind. The daunting feeling, fast music and great melodies.
The only thing I have my worries with is the overall mix/sound. It sounds great at times but falls short (disbalance between instruments) at other moments. It sounds too loud, too much in your face. That works with just the blast sections, that reminds me of Belphegor, but a bit more breathing room in the mix makes it feel more alive.
Great work and looking forward to hear more from this guys!
80/100
Review by D.L.B
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