Welcome to my review of the album Nihilist by the French black metal band Myrkvid.

In this review, I’ll be sharing my general thoughts on the album along with a few of my favourite moments from specific tracks.

Right from the start, it’s clear that this is a band that goes for a more raw approach to their black metal sound. It’s not overly polished, but it’s still clear enough to hear everything that’s going on. As someone who enjoys pretty much all kinds of black metal, I can really appreciate this kind of production when it’s executed properly—and I strongly feel that Myrkvid manages to pull it off well.

What really makes this band stand out the most, in my opinion, is the vocals. The vocalist’s approach fits the instrumentals perfectly and really helps bring out that classic KVLT black metal atmosphere. I also enjoyed the use of simple but very effective chord progressions. There isn’t too much going on at once, which leaves plenty of space for the drums and vocals to come through clearly and sound crisp.

Wolfpack was one of my favourite tracks on the album. The way the song changes direction around the 1:01 mark is excellent. The tempo shifts as the drummer starts hitting the thrash and crash cymbals, which helps initiate the next section of the track.

This following section is executed really well, and the standard 4/4 drum beat helps push the momentum forward nicely. I also thought the subtle addition of wolf snarls layered into the mix was a cool and unique touch.

Virgin Bitch-Bastard Son. This was another highlight track for me. The overall tempo is noticeably slower than most black metal you typically hear, but for a track like this, it really works—you don’t necessarily need blazing speed for it to be effective.

The way the song begins is pretty out there. It sounds a lot like women being fucked with whipping noises in the background, haha. I could be wrong, it might be sounds of anguish or pain but it definitely leans more toward the first interpretation, haha.

I was also a big fan of how the final minute plays out. The guitars seem to get deeper with some really dense tones, while the drums become a little louder with the steady 4/4 beat, which helps close the track in a powerful way.

To Bleed a World This was undoubtedly my favourite track on the album. For my personal taste, this is where Myrkvid sounds at their absolute best: fast-paced, aggressive, and relentless.

What really makes the track stand out are the blasphemous chord progressions and the razor-sharp tremolo-picked guitar patterns, which feel like they were conjured straight from the underworld.

Overall, I’ve come to the conclusion that if a band is signed to IFP, their sound probably has something special about it… and that’s definitely the case with Myrkvid.

This was actually my first time listening to the band. While I wouldn’t say the album is groundbreaking, I still enjoyed it quite a lot. There were even moments where it had me headbanging.

The production feels perfect for the style they’re going for, and each member of the band contributes something important to the overall sound. The guitars have a lot of character, particularly in the chord progressions. The vocals are, in my opinion, the most standout element of the album. The drums are solid throughout, especially during the faster sections, which sound crisp and powerful. The bass also does a great job of tying everything together.

Overall, I’d give Nihilist a strong 8/10.