The ways of playing and making Black Metal songs of the past still influence directly many musicians and bands. It's a matter of passion, when music was created with heart and feelings, and not just to fit in releases' agendas as happen sometimes in these days. Albums as "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", "Frost", "Det Som Engang Var", "Under a Funeral Moon", "Opus Nocturne", "Storm of the Light's Bane", "Thy Mighty Contract", "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh", "In the Nightside Eclipse" and many others had no compromise on becoming cornerstones of the genre or great commercial successes, but they became such due the passion of those days, when thing were done on that way for the lack of better conditions for the recording sessions. And the quintet NYRST, from Iceland, shows such passion on "Orsök", their first album.

Their musical work is based upon those morbid and nasty ambiances of the past, with a crude approach on their way of playing and creating music. Obviously it doesn't sound as something that wasn't heard before, but their passion and energy pulses in every little instrumental arrangement. Of course, it's not accessible for those who aren't introduced to Black Metal in its must seminal form, but the feeling is amazing. As could be expected, the sound quality of "Orsök" is crude and grim creating that cold and nasty ambiance of the 90's that many fans love. Of course that it becomes so hard to explore deeply their songs due such harsh sonority, and it's a point that they can work in a better way next time, because even during the days of poor love sonorities of the genre, there were those that could be understood. Without saying 'do the things this way', I suggest them to take a listening on what SATYRICON did on "The Shadowthorne" days.

The songs are excessively long, what can bore even the most fanatic Black Metal fan, but they're really very good. And the bitter and funereal ambiance created by the guitars on "Æðri Verur" and "Orsök" (this one is a bit more aggressive), the oppressive approach of "Nástirni", and the mighty impact of "Hvísl Hinna Holdlausu" (the contrasts between vocals tunes is excellent on this one) and "Turnar I Fjarska" are pieces that those fans that look for something in the format of the old days of the genre must hear at any cost. A better sound quality would enrich a lot their work, so NYRST shows itself as a very good promise on "Orsök". Let's wait and see how thing evolve for them.