HolyMetal - Oct 07 - by Tiziana Ferro
original review : http://www.holymetal.com/recensione.asp?cod=999

Directly from France comes to us at Holymetal.com music from Nirnaeth, quartet founded in 2001 by guitarist Mutill and bassist Malaria, whose dream was to create a band that could collect many different influences under the sign of black metal. Drummer Yamael and singer Zigouille soon joined the band, that was now complete and could start to play live around France as well as to record their first demo Nothing But Ashes. Encouraged by a positive response to their work, Nirnaeth came back in studio in order to record their album Thrown Athwart The Darkness (whose title is taken from the homonymous poem by Percy Bisshe Shelley).

It has to be said that I had a great impression of Nirnaeth’s work right from the first listening, even though I started my listening thinking it would be just another plane black metal work: well, I was wrong, because I found out a really catchy, various sound, that collects elements taken from different metal styles, thus remaining under black metal’s main features, especially in scream-singing. The nine tracks from Thrown Athwart The Darkness run pleasantly, starting from “Nirnaeth Arnoediad”, which execution is in medias res (whithout intro), and proceeding with the obscure “War”, a classic black-metal track sang in latin “Et Nox Facta Est”, the fast execution of “Ténèbres”, the wonderful “Vampire Hunters”, with its excellent bass, “Pentagram Of Flesh” with its powerful and fast drumming, the angry, evil “Nothing But Ashes” and the wonderful final track “We’ll Be Victorious”, that for its majesty and solemnity fits perfectly in a live contest.

Finally, I can proudly say I’m enthusiastic of Nirnaeth’s music, because it has really a lot to say, and do it with an inner style and personality. Nirnaeth are simply the proof that French scenery can give an important contribute to the international metal scene.