The Child Must Die

I can't believe this is the same band that released "Synkkä tuuli" only two years before this album. In all actuality, the difference between these two albums is extremely noticeable. There is still a lot of ambience to be heard on this album, but unlike the previous full-length, it doesn't seem to be recycled from prison-era Burzum. I was extremely cautious before listening to this album, because after hearing the previous one, a bitter taste was left in my mouth. This album is, in my honest opinion, perfect in every way. Unlike last time, a very sweet aftertaste was left behind. Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus have really outdone themselves here. So, let us take a musical journey through frozen winter kingdoms with the new album from Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus, entitled "The Child Must Die".

Right off the bat with the opening track "Wondrous Sampo", it is clear that these guys mean business. It is a sonic black metal assault on the senses, and really showcases the band's obvious Scandinavian influences. Of course this isn't surprising, seeing as this band is rooted within the country of Finland, but it's definitely a nod to the classic Nordic black metal sound. The guitars are much better this time around, and are clear throughout the album, but fuzzy enough to work well in creating atmosphere. There are some amazing tremolo riffs throughout this album, such as in the epic "Let Them Perish". While the guitar playing here isn't something absolutely original or unique, it is very effective and executed a extremely well. The tone of the guitar is absolutely perfect for the atmosphere. The closing track "The Night She Died" radiates a post-rock vibe that almost reminds me of Explosions in the Sky, in a way. This is definitely a nice surprise. Overall, the riffing is very melodic and a focal point in the music, but is also complemented with extremely orchestral synths.

The ambience experienced in this album is very different than before. Instead of keys inspired by prison-era Burzum, we get epic, symphonic keys more along the lines of Emperor, Limbonic Art, or Dimmu Borgir. They are extremely huge and up front in the mix. "Feast of the Northern Farm" contains some of my favorite keys throughout the short 33 minutes contained within this album. The outro to this song is especially symphonic and epic, and most importantly, beautiful. I was so relieved these guys decided to opt for a more orchestral sound this time around. Sure, the ambient tone on the last album wasn't bad, but it sounded recycled and somewhat bland. This is almost a complete 360 from that. Every song on this album radiates this beauty.

Another extremely huge difference this time around is the implementation of real drums. On the previous album, the drum machine practically ruined the entire experience for me. I'm not opposed to drum machines, and a lot of bands I love use them, in fact. However, the tone of this specific drum machine was completely atrocious. It was almost offensive, because the music otherwise really wasn't all bad. On "The Child Must Die", the dudes decided to incorporate Kol Slavv to play session drums. His performance is absolutely tight, and fits the music extremely well. His double bass and blastbeat skills are definitely there, and provide that signature black metal drum instrumentation. Even when he is not blasting, he has complete control over the drums and is obviously very skilled. He may not do too much that is out of the ordinary for black metal, but he fits the music as he should and doesn't deviate from the formula at all. I really hope these guys continue to use real drums, as it would be a crying shame if they didn't.

Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus have really outdone themselves with this album. Words can really not express just how amazing it is, and really, if you listen to the band's previous album and this one in order, you will hear two completely different bands. If you are new to this band and are reading this review before listening to anything by these guys, I strongly urge you to hear this album first. Only after that will I advise you to hear their first one. Sure, that would be going backwards, but really after hearing this, I really wish I did so. "The Child Must Die" is a spectacular black metal album and in my opinion, is definitely a modern classic. One of the finest metal albums of the year so far, for sure.