NYRST's 2020 full length debut at the beginning of the unfortunate Covid pandemic (and the isolation and boredom that came with it) marked my return to writing reviews. A lot has changed since then and normality has (largely) returned...

After the Icelanders first album paid tribute to the desolate, icy expanses of their homeland, the second album Völd does no longer deal with the cold vastness of nature but instead with the awe-inspiring powers of the island's volcanoes.

Anyone who is familiar with the previous album Orsök will quickly notice that the tempo slows down a tad more often on the new album, despite the usual brisk and blast beat-driven start to the title track Völd. Like a volcanic eruption, some of the tracks gradually build up pressure/tension, only to be released in an unbridled, powerful pyroclastic Black Metal storm. In particular, the similarly structured Hrímvíti and Eilíft Eldhaf, separated only by a short interlude and featuring very calm central parts and subdued clean vocals, convey this motive very well.

Völd comes up with many more interesting motifs: For example, the transition from screeching guitar tremolo to vocals that alternate between clear and wailing as well as gloomy screams (singer Snæbjörn, just as on the first album, pulls out all the stops and is a major contributor to the mood of the respective songs/passages) leading to a dark, slightly dissonant mood at the beginning of the album, or the ominously weird beginning of the finale Af Fjarri Ströndum should be emphasized. On the other hand, Völd also has one or two lengths that I didn't notice on its predecessor; here and there I observed a little bit too much repetition of motifs and/or structures for my liking.
But that's complaining on a high level, Völd is still an overall excellent album and a great advertisement for Icelandic black metal.
I'm already excited to see what’s next for NYRST!