Mystik (SWE) - Mystik (2019)^{Release ID: 25936}

It is nice when you find a band who are utterly unapologetic for wearing their influences on the sleeve.  The authenticity and sheer earthiness of Mystik is infectious to anyone who has ever heard any Warlock or Acid record, yet they are more than just worship of speed metal and trad metal bands, they are clearly accomplished musicians and connoisseurs of an art form that should never be allowed to die.

The furious gallop of their debut album rarely lets up.  From the opening track you are taken on a whirlwind of racing riffs, pounding drums and gruff and curt vocals courtesy of the superb Julia von Krusenstjerna.  The lead work is melodic and fluid, matching the overall intensity of the record as it leaves you with little doubt of its intention to do anything other than wrap the listener in a big warm blanket of the eighties.  You can hear all the component parts of the instrumentation also, whether it is the thundering drums or the rumbling current of the bass as it presses harder on the gas to really drive the engine along, the guitars revving the engine with their frenzied riff patterns.

There's anthems here to keep your head occupied for hours after you finish playing the record.  Ancient Majesty and Gallows Hill deal with their macabre subject matter with rasping choruses, chanted at the listener and etched into your brain without the need for any great range from the vocalist. The industriousness of the band is breath taking, nearing relentless at times in terms of the energy levels on display.  The album relies on a simplicity in terms of structure, giving you banger after banger with fantasy-fuelled content to compel the inner nerd to sit upright and pay attention.

The emergence of female fronted (in fact the majority of Mystik are female) metal bands that are able to tap into the rich vein of traditional metal and raging speed metal is something I welcome and this is simply essential listening for me.  Mystik have laid down a firm foundation stone to what I hope will be a long and illustrious career.  My only criticism is that it is very "samey" overall, even with the variety they throw in through melody and structure and so probably a seven track album would work better in reality, but still a very good debut.