The Icelanders Misþyrming were the band that opened the concerts of our own Yoth Iria in Greece on March 22 and when I saw them I was happy to see the reason why with only two records they have caused so much chaos in the black metal scene. Imposing and aggressive as it should be for their idiom, they show that they intend to go one step further and leave their own mark on history. On their third album, the amazing Með hamri (which in their native language means “With a hammer”), they clearly create their own playing style and take us by the hand to their dark and distant places, which from the cover and only you can understand that this is something otherworldly. Within the span of 43 minutes I hear pretty much all the elements I love in black metal. Ear-piercing guitars, drums that don’t stop firing, vocals from the depths of despair and pain and a ritual atmosphere that makes you put the record on repeat constantly. I think the epic “Aftaka” says it all. Not many records have been released for 2023 yet, but something tells me that this one will be on many editors’ lists. However, its icy aura is just right for the season!
