Artist: Gvozdena Nychta
Country: Serbia
Label: Into Endless Chaos Records
Formats: Cassette EP
Year: 2026
About a year and a half after the debut EP from this enigmatic duo known as Gvozdena Nychta, they’ve given a new sign of life. And it seems they’ve decided to switch labels in the process; their first EP, ‘Grimoire Des Sourires’, was released by the Portuguese label Altare Productions, where they fitted in well stylistically, but the duo are now looking closer to home and have joined forces with the German label Into Endless Chaos Productions. Incidentally, this choice has had no effect on the band’s musical direction, so anyone who was taken with the Black/Punk fusion of the debut EP will certainly find this new release to their liking as well.
Although Gvozdena Nychta’s musical foundation can no longer be described as particularly innovative or refreshing, this Serbian duo (now based in Berlin) manages to put their own spin on the Black/Punk genre with their approach. This hybrid genre has certainly become quite popular in underground circles in recent years, not least because it attracts a diverse audience, but as with any ‘hype’, mediocrity inevitably follows in the wake of the pioneers. That is certainly not the case here, however. Not only because of the ‘open’ sound, the Garage-style riffs and the almost Surf-like melodies, but above all because, in terms of dynamics, it’s all put together in a slightly more exciting way.
With a duration of well under ten minutes, ‘Tuxedo Bay’ is a rather short EP, but that adds a lot to the experience. It is no secret I love shorter releases, but especially this sort of music thrives in a short, Punk-like settings. But I’d be doing the band a disservice if I left it at that; the gloomy passages, much like those heard on their debut EP, are back again here and ensure that Gvozdena Nychta really is a different sort of band from your average Black/Punk outfit. Hipsters might interpret those passages as bits of Dungeon Synth, but to me they have more of a Cold Meat Industries feel to them, which, given the rather simplistic and superficial keyboard sequences of today’s Dungeon Synth, is quite a compliment.
It’s therefore no easy task to pigeonhole Gvozdena Nychta. Of course, there’s no need to, but it’s something we all like to do. This elusive and utterly schizophrenic two-man project feels at times like a pile-up involving Akitsa, Karsten Hamre, The Fall and The Treble Spankers. It’s somewhat inextricable, but at the same time, that spaghetti-like jumble is also its charm and its unique selling point.
