NEPHROLITH - Paleness Of The Bled World

Nephrolith - Paleness Of The Bled World (2016, Cursed Records)

Lately, I was revisiting one of my ‘’teacher’s pet’’ band, Primordial and I said to myself that there are not many Black Metal acts that sound similar or that carry the same vibe in their music and the atmosphere they create. Well, my inbox once again made me lie and I fell on this Slovenian, not Melania, band named Nephrolith with the only tag of Black Metal. My description would be a Classic Metal act with the spirit of Primordial, an interesting and fresh take on the genre with inclusions of Post-Black Metal and bits of Shoegazing here and there.

The timeless sound of the Celtic Frost Heavy Metal mixed with the very contemporary, almost trendy, Blackgaze of Deafheaven gives to Nephrolith an unique sound with their trve Black Metal imagery. Add to that a good amount of melodic riffs that not always sound that Blackish.

The mix has an analog feeling but felt a bit flat and not really heavy and this is the only major complaint I would have with this album. It sounds like those CDs you still own in your library that were the first pressings of Hammerheart and To Mega Therion. They have this nostalgic quality that comes with the era they were recorded and mastered.

Certainly, Paleness Of The Bled World has taken me off guard and some more post-rock moments are surprising like in the song ‘’Warmth Into Fire’’. It is almost a crime to limit the description of the music of Nephrolith to Black Metal, believe me I am a huge fan of BM, because they explore many genres and carry the spirit of early Bathory, Celtic Frost, Primordial, and My Bloody Valentine altogether.

6.0