NYKSTA might be the first metal band from Lithuania that I come across. Self-labeled as Post-Black Metal, this new coming band is a brilliant example of underrated and underground musical potentials that hardy anyone has ever heard of.  These guys marked their debut with a decent full-length record entitled "Lieka Tik Sienos" (meaning "There remains only the Border" in Lithuanian, according to Google) via Inferna Profundus Records earlier this year.

Since the very first minute of this roughly-fifty-minutes-long album, NYKSTA try to live up the the claim that "THIS IS POST BLACK METAL," at which they more or less succeeded.  The roughness and rawness of traditional Black Metal is obviously there, to a great extent, yet the band absolutely refuse to limit themselves to this. Instead, there are venturing into the Prog-Rock, Post-Rock and even Goth Rock territories with all their non-conventional aspects and their complexities. This record is not short of any Doom Metal influences either. You can hear it all, from Drone to Sludge.  The product came out as a raw heaviness clad in a beautifully haunting yet invitingly gloomy atmosphere, utterly compelling. At some point they would even surprise you with a saxophone.

I admit it took me a while to totally get into this album and totally grasp it's darkly charms. It's definitely a grower and it does take time. All lyrics being in Lithuanian, the whole thing may seem uninviting and enigmatic at first, however, you learn to just get over it and give in to NYKSTA's ominous grimness.

I presume   "Lieka Tik Sienos" might end up as my debut album of this year. I guess my first contact with Lithuanian Metal has been absolutely impressive. It is also the first time I come across a band that perfectly managed to wed Black Metal to Post Metal in such a "natural" way. Kudos to NYKSTA!