Militiae – Nyseius (2010)

Hailing from France, this month we get a taste of great Black Metal in the shape of “Nyseius” from the one-man band Militiae. This release features a perfect combination of traditional Scandinavian Black Metal with more symphonic Avant-garde elements that give this release the edge needed to be noticed in the super crowded BM scene.

If you are looking for ‘cult’ Black Metal, you might check this release out since it features the traditional blastbeats and tremolo picking sections that we all love. The release also has a very grim and raw feeling to it at (the beginning of Les Symboles de la Catharsis song), but it never lacks production values.

However, this release also features very interesting and well placed melodic/atmospheric passages that take this release into a more Avant-garde approach, where bands like Solefald, Borknagar and others made their name. The overall feeling of the album is very diverse in the sense that Militiae is a chameleon changing in every song, and you will not be able to figure out this beast until the album ends.

The combination of fury with melody is very well done, showing the quality of the band since the second track. All instruments are brutally stitched to perfection creating a tick Scandinavian sounding Black Metal sound that will be both familiar and fresh. We are impressed on how much the band achieves in this 36 minute album.

Of the hundreds of Black Metal releases we get, “Nyseius” has been one of the most promising in the last few months. While the band is not super ground-breaking they can still play the shit of a much exploited genre, make their mark, and will leave people wanting for more. So we recommend you go and pick this album out from ATMF records and be ready for total destruction.

Release: April 19th, 2010

Country: France