Nexion - Sundrung (2025)^{Release ID: 62974}

Iceland. The country of volcanoes, hot springs, the Northern Lights and black sand. Add to this list black metal of course, more specifically black/death in the form of Reykjavík’s Nexion. With their sophomore album, Sundrung (disharmony, discord or sundering), this five-piece are showing clear signs of hitting their stride early on in their recorded output. Simply put, this record is monstrous. Monstrous in the sense that it has nothing but wicked intent. Monstrous as in it sounds like some crawling beast that is literally dragging all the tortured souls of hell and Hades’ underneath every one of its groundings. If ever a benchmark for true black/death metal is needed then there is a perfect, modern reference sat right here.

You can easily find comparisons to a whole host of other Icelandic metal bands present in Nexion’s sound. Svartidauði, Misþyrming, Sinmara, etc we all know the key players out there. Yet you will also find a host of other influences on Sundrung. Vocally, on more than one occasion, I hear spurts of Tom G Warrior as Josh Rood goes through his range of scathing, blackened styles against a backdrop of dissonance that would not be out of place on an Ulcerate record (‘When Raven Steals the Sun’, being a great example of the dissonance effect). There is variety to in the track arrangement, with atmospheric interlude ‘:Þþþ:’ acting as a fetid palate cleanser in the middle of the album before the horror resumes with the distinctly black/death n’ roll opening of ‘Hymn of the Valkyrjur’.

Chanted or layered vocals seek to only add more mystery and intrigue into the ritual that it is this album. The frenzied attack of ‘Rending the Black Earth’ does not lose any sense of solemn ceremony during its glorious assault. Mining tremolos resonate throughout the track creating enchanting dissonance as they blare like victory horns across a shattered landscape. The sense of foreboding never leaves Sundrung over the eight tracks that make up its forty-eight-minute run time. The tension is masterfully poised by the band throughout which is an achievement in itslf given that its nefarious intentions are always firmly on display also, leaving the listener in no doubt of what they are dealing with here.

The only criticism I can level at Sundrung is the lack of strength in the drums, which is not something that necessarily wounds the album beyond repair, yet it still is a weakness that is obvious in what is otherwise an incredibly strong album. Arguably, with a twin guitar attack set against those vocals, you should expect something to get lost, but when it is an important component such as the drums then it does have an obvious impact.